William A. Harris Garden facts for kids
The William A. Harris Garden is a small, city-owned community garden in the Sugar Hill area of Harlem, New York City. It's a special green space where people can grow plants and enjoy nature. You can find it at the corner of West 153rd Street and St. Nicholas Avenue.
A Special Place in Harlem
This garden is about 0.11 acres, which is a little bigger than a tennis court. For almost 100 years, this spot was just an empty lot. This was because it sat right on top of the old Croton Aqueduct. This aqueduct was a very important underground channel. It brought fresh water to New York City all the way from 1838! The water traveled from the Croton River, across the High Bridge, and then through pipes under St. Nicholas Avenue. It eventually reached big reservoirs in Central Park and Bryant Park.
How the Garden Started
In 1979, a man named William A. Harris (who lived from 1921 to 2011) decided to do something about the empty lot. He was a resident of Sugar Hill. He started turning it into a community garden.
William A. Harris was born in Bracey, Virginia. After serving in the army during World War II, he moved to New York. He worked for 30 years with the New York City Department of Sanitation. He was a foreman there. Mr. Harris encouraged young people in the neighborhood to help clean up the empty lot.
The Garden Today
The William A. Harris Garden quickly became a very important place for the community. As the years went by, Mr. Harris planted more and more. The small corner lot soon became a green space. It grew into a lively community garden. It was filled with many different vegetables and beautiful flowers.
Today, Mr. Harris's daughters help manage the garden. It has become a real treasure for the neighborhood. People of all ages, including neighbors and other community members, come to help. They plant, water, and care for the plants.
Even though the garden is on top of the city's old water supply, it uses a smart way to get water. A large tank collects nearly 1,000 gallons of rainwater. This water comes from the rooftop of the Kinghaven apartment building next door. This special tank was put in place in 2011. It was installed by members and volunteers from Green Apple Corps, with help from GROWNYC.
