Kensico, New York facts for kids

Kensico was once a small village, or hamlet, located in central Westchester County, New York. It no longer exists because it was moved and then flooded. This was done to create the Kensico Reservoir, which is a very important storage area for the water supply system that provides drinking water to New York City.

Kensico was surrounded by other towns and hamlets. These included North Castle, Mount Pleasant, Chappaqua, Valhalla, Armonk, and White Plains.

What Was Kensico? A Look at its Past

The name Kensico came from a Siwanoy Indian chief named Coken-se-co. He was one of the people who signed the original land deed for the city of White Plains. Before the village was flooded, Kensico was a stop on the Harlem Line train route. This train line went from Grand Central Station in New York City, just north of the White Plains stop. Kensico was one of three small settlements in the area, along with Wright's Mills and Davis Brook.

In 1845, people living in Kensico, which was about 2.5 miles from Davis Brook, asked for a change. They successfully requested that the railroad station at Davis Brook be renamed Kensico.

The village itself was nestled in a valley between two larger mountains. It had a big red mill in its center. Parts of the Bronx and Byram Rivers also flowed through the area. There was also a Methodist Episcopal church in the village.

Building the Kensico Reservoir: A Major Project

Building the Kensico Dam started in 1881. However, the plans for the dam grew much bigger. This meant that all the land in Kensico village was needed for the project. The city bought property from everyone in the town. For example, Joseph Warren Tompkins received money for his mill, and Frank Tilford was paid for his farm. Even the local ice company got money for their buildings. A lawyer named Henry T. Dykman helped manage these payments.

Some people protested as the town was being cleared for the reservoir. On April 1, 1893, a hotel owner named William Ackerly refused to leave his property. Officials then removed his belongings from his hotel. Eventually, Mr. Ackerly and other townspeople had to leave their homes. To prevent contamination of the future reservoir, many buildings were burned down. This included houses, barns, and other structures.

The final water tunnel leading to Kensico began construction on December 29, 1893. On August 22, 1895, about 500 Italian workers building the tunnel went on strike. The main Kensico Dam was built between 1913 and 1917. It cost about $15,000,000 to build. This massive construction project ultimately created the Kensico Reservoir we see today.