Castle Gatehouse, Washington Aqueduct
Encyclopedia
Castle Gatehouse, Washington Aqueduct is a pumping station
at the Georgetown Reservoir
on the Washington Aqueduct
in The Palisades neighborhood
of Washington, D.C.
, United States
. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places
and contributes to the Washington Aqueduct National Historic Landmark
.
authorized the Army Corps of Engineers
to construct a water supply for the city of Washington, using the Potomac River
at Great Falls as its source. Construction of a 12-mile pipeline began in 1853, and portions of the system began operation in 1859. Little Falls Branch
was used as an interim source until the pipeline was completed in 1864. The water was routed to Dalecarlia Reservoir
, followed by Georgetown Reservoir
.
Improvements to the water system in the late 19th century included the Castle Gatehouse. The gatehouse was constructed at the Georgetown Reservoir to pump water into the four-mile long Washington City Tunnel that led to McMillan Reservoir
, completed in 1902. A filtration system was constructed at McMillan in 1905 and this system improved the quality of city water.
Construction of the gatehouse began in 1899. The design was intended to replicate the Army Corps insigna
. Portland cement
plaster was used to replicate stonework and give the gatehouse an authentic castle appearance.
The gatehouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on March 13, 1975. It is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District.
Pumping station
Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites.A pumping station...
at the Georgetown Reservoir
Georgetown Reservoir
The Georgetown Reservoir is a reservoir that is part of the water supply and treatment infrastructure for the District of Columbia. It is located in the Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C., approximately two miles downstream from the Maryland–D.C. boundary.The reservoir was built by the...
on the Washington Aqueduct
Washington Aqueduct
The Washington Aqueduct is an aqueduct that provides the public water supply system serving Washington, D.C., and parts of its suburbs. One of the first major aqueduct projects in the United States, the Aqueduct was commissioned by Congress in 1852, and construction began in 1853 under the...
in The Palisades neighborhood
The Palisades, Washington, D.C.
The Palisades is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River, running roughly from the edge of the Georgetown University campus to the D.C.-Maryland boundary...
of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and contributes to the Washington Aqueduct National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
History
In 1852 the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
authorized the Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
to construct a water supply for the city of Washington, using the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
at Great Falls as its source. Construction of a 12-mile pipeline began in 1853, and portions of the system began operation in 1859. Little Falls Branch
Little Falls Branch (Potomac River)
Little Falls Branch, a tributary stream of the Potomac River, is located in Montgomery County, Maryland. In the 19th century, the stream was also called Powder Mill Branch. It drains portions of Bethesda, Somerset, Friendship Heights, and the District of Columbia, flows under the Chesapeake and...
was used as an interim source until the pipeline was completed in 1864. The water was routed to Dalecarlia Reservoir
Dalecarlia Reservoir
Dalecarlia Reservoir is the primary storage basin for drinking water in Washington, D.C., fed by an underground aqueduct in turn fed by low dams which divert portions of the Potomac River near Great Falls and Little Falls....
, followed by Georgetown Reservoir
Georgetown Reservoir
The Georgetown Reservoir is a reservoir that is part of the water supply and treatment infrastructure for the District of Columbia. It is located in the Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C., approximately two miles downstream from the Maryland–D.C. boundary.The reservoir was built by the...
.
Improvements to the water system in the late 19th century included the Castle Gatehouse. The gatehouse was constructed at the Georgetown Reservoir to pump water into the four-mile long Washington City Tunnel that led to McMillan Reservoir
McMillan Reservoir
The McMillan Reservoir is a reservoir in Washington, D.C. that supplies the majority of the city's municipal water. It was originally called the Howard University Reservoir or the Washington City Reservoir, and was completed in 1902 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reservoir was built on...
, completed in 1902. A filtration system was constructed at McMillan in 1905 and this system improved the quality of city water.
Construction of the gatehouse began in 1899. The design was intended to replicate the Army Corps insigna
Corps Castle
Corps Castle is the logo of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . The logo is typically a white castle with three towers set on on a red background. When the Corps Castle is worn as insignia on a uniform, it is similar to the logo design but with a dull or shiny brass finish...
. Portland cement
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...
plaster was used to replicate stonework and give the gatehouse an authentic castle appearance.
The gatehouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 13, 1975. It is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District.
See also
- History of Washington, D.C.History of Washington, D.C.The history of Washington, D.C. is tied to its role as the capital of the United States. Originally inhabited by an Algonquian-speaking people known as the Nacotchtank, the site of the District of Columbia along the Potomac River was originally selected by President George Washington. The city came...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in the District of Columbia