Sawkill facts for kids
The Sawkill was a large stream system on Manhattan island long ago. Its name comes from a Dutch word meaning "Saw Mill Creek." Before the Dutch started their colony of New Netherland in 1624, the Sawkill was the biggest natural waterway on Manhattan.
This stream was about 8.5 miles (13.7 kilometers) long. It started very close to the Hudson River, only about four blocks away. The Sawkill began as a small stream flowing east from a rocky area near what is now Ninth Avenue and 85th Street.
It flowed south through an area now known as Manhattan Square, where it formed a small pond. Then, it turned east, crossing through what is now Central Park all the way to Fifth Avenue. Along its path, three smaller streams joined it. Near 75th Street and Third Avenue, another stream connected to it. The old Boston Post Road used to cross the Sawkill near this spot. From there, the stream flowed straight east, emptying into the East River near 75th Street.
The Sawkill actually split into two main parts. The name "Sawkill" was mainly used for the southern branch of the creek. The smaller northern stream's name isn't known, but maps from the 1870s show it entering the East River near 79th Street.
What Was the Sawkill?
The Sawkill got its name from a saw mill that used to be located on its banks. This mill was found near what is now 74th Street, about 250 feet east of York Avenue.
Workers at the saw mill were mostly people brought over by the Dutch West India Company. Their living area was near the mouth of the Sawkill until at least 1639. Early maps of Manhattan Island, like the Manatus Map of 1639, called this area "the quarter of the blacks, the [West India] company's slaves." It is believed these workers used the stream to float logs from the mill to the East River. From there, the logs would be sent to the new fort at New Amsterdam, which was at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, or even shipped to the Netherlands.
The Sawkill stream started where the American Museum of Natural History is today. It flowed through the area that would become Central Park, just south of a historic community called Seneca Village. Originally, the stream left the park area under Fifth Avenue near 74th Street, where Conservatory Water is now. Then, it flowed into the East River.
To create the Lake in Central Park, the Sawkill's path was changed. A wide, curved earth dam was built to block its flow. This dam now carries the East Carriage Drive past the Kerbs Boathouse. It was built so cleverly that many visitors don't even realize it's a dam.
From Sawkill to Arch Brook
By 1677, the Sawkill was a very important waterway in early Manhattan. However, when the land was transferred from the Dutch West India Company to Abraham Shotwell, people started calling the stream "ye run of water, formerly called ye saw mill creeke."
Eventually, the saw mill was replaced by a leather mill. In the early to mid-1800s, the Sawkill was dammed and covered over with arches. This created a much smaller stream that people called Arch Brook. Even though the stream changed, a bridge over the Sawkill remained a popular spot. It was known as the "Kissing Bridge" as early as 1806 and stayed popular throughout the 1800s.
The Sawkill in Central Park Today
Even Arch Brook has disappeared over time. However, parts of the Sawkill's original waters are still present in Central Park. When the park was designed, planners used what was left of the Sawkill's source to create the beautiful Lake. This Lake is in the middle of the park, between 71st and 78th streets.
The upper part of the Sawkill within the park was also used to connect two sections of Ladies Pond. This was a small pond west of the Lake that was used for ice skating and was reserved for women.
The Sawkill remained an active waterway in this area until 1930. At that time, Ladies Pond was filled in to create a walking path. One of the rustic bridges built as part of Central Park still crosses over the former site of Ladies Pond. In 2000, this bridge was named the "Triplets Bridge" after Benjamin, Rachel, and Justin Chasalow. The Balcony Bridge also crosses over the former pond area to the east.
