Inwood Infrastructour
Transformers, Transit, and Trash
Inwood occupies the northernmost* tip of Manhattan Island, and is home to the oldest farmhouse in Manhattan, several restored salt marshes, and more in line with Infrastructours, a bevy of sites that supporting NYC’s electrical, transit, and sanitations systems.
*Marble Hill is technically the northernmost point of Manhattan, but the story behind the asterisk will be told on the tour!
Inwood Infrastructour Highlights
While we often (justifiably) focus on Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse to describe the early history of electricity, but the Sherman Creek Generating Station helps us illustrate another angle on the War of the Currents.
This plant, a coal-fired, 120 MW generator, was constructed by the United Electric Light and Power Company and designed by Thomas Murray, two titans whose many contributions are still with us today.
“Were it located in some other borough away from the hypnotic spell of the well-advertised word ‘Edison,’ United would be recognized as one of the great systems.”
Check out the map above (1832 David Burr Map) for a view of how the border between Manhattan and the Bronx looked at the time - this is the story of Marble Hill and to which borough it belongs.
Traveling from the Hudson River to the Harlem River carried commercial and strategic importance, but navigating up and around this large deposit of Inwood Marble consumed time and resources, but humans lacked the tech to do anything about it… until dynamite entered the scene!
Blasting through the small brook seen above, the Harlem River Ship Canal took shape over the course of 1817-1938 - we will end the tour down at the water level so you can imagine for yourself!
A wonderful view of Inwood looking southwest, we can see here a few defining landmarks - the George Washington Bridge in the background, Inwood Hill Park, home to one of NYC Parks’ Forever Wild conservation areas, but front and center is the MTA’s 207th St Yard, one of only two heavy repair yards in NYC! While access is tightly restricted, we can enjoy some great views from the surrounding area, including from the 1908 University Heights Bridge, of the yard and its innovative flood mitigation system
