Albany Pump Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Quackenbush Pumping Station,
Albany Water Works |
|
East (front) elevation, 2011
|
|
| Location | Albany, NY |
|---|---|
| Built | 1873 |
| Architect | Edward Ogden |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001634 |
| Added to NRHP | June 30, 1983 |
The Albany Pump Station is a cool old building in Albany, New York. It was first called the Quackenbush Pumping Station. This building was super important for Albany's water supply for about 60 years!
It was built in the 1870s to pump water from the nearby Hudson River. In 1983, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special historical building. Today, parts of the building have been changed into a popular restaurant and a place that makes its own drinks. This change even won an award! Another part of the building is now Albany's visitor center.
Contents
What Does the Building Look Like?
The pump station is part of Quackenbush Square. This is a small walking area named after the old Quackenbush House nearby. The building is made of brick and has two stories. It has a sloped roof covered with slate tiles.
The front of the building has big, arched windows. These windows have brick frames and stone sills. A large sign on top says "Albany Pump Station." It also says "Brewpub and Restaurant" in smaller letters.
There's a newer part of the building to the north that looks similar. To the south, there's another brick building. This part was once used as stables for horses. Inside, you won't find much of the old pumping equipment. The restaurant area has really tall ceilings, about 40-foot (12 m) high! They even kept two huge 20 ton[convert: unit invalid here] cranes. These cranes were used to lift the large tanks for making drinks. The Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center is also in the building. It has a gift shop and the Henry Hudson Planetarium.
A Look Back: The Station's History
How Albany Got Its Water
Albany's water system started small. In 1670, people got water from wells. Later, they built small reservoirs by blocking creeks. But as Albany grew bigger, especially around the time of the American Civil War, the city needed more water. So, the city decided to get water directly from the Hudson River.
In 1873, the city bought land for the new pump station. A local architect named Edward Ogden designed the main part of the building. It was built that same year. The station had space for two steam-powered pumps. These pumps could move river water to a reservoir west of the city.
Five years later, in 1878, another pumping station was built. This helped serve new neighborhoods. The Albany Pump Station was made bigger in 1895 and again in 1897. More pumps were added, and the building looked much like it does today.
The station kept pumping river water for the city for the next 30 years. In 1935, a new, much larger reservoir called Alcove Reservoir was built. This new reservoir finally met Albany's water needs for a long time. The pump station stopped pumping water in 1937.
From Pump Station to Restaurant
After 1937, the city used the old pump station mainly for storage. It was renovated in 1977, but it still suffered from neglect.
In 1999, a local man named Neil Evans bought the building. He wanted to restart his family's old company, C.H. Evans Brewing Company. His family had made drinks in Hudson for a long time. When he fixed up the building, he made sure to keep its old industrial look.
The new restaurant and brewery became a very popular place. It's located right near downtown Albany. The next year, a group called the Preservation League of New York gave it an award. They recognized it for being an excellent project that saved a historic building.
