Last updated: November 30, 2022
Place
Cross Estate Water Tower
NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
Cross Estate, Morristown NHP, NJ
Significance:
Historic structure
The water tower at the Cross Estate helped provide water to the house. The tower was constructued in 1909 by John Bensel, who lived in the nearby house, then known as the Queen Anne Farm. A windmill on the tower drove a pump from a well at the base of the tower to a tank at the top. The height of the tower helped pressure the water through the pipes of the three-story house in a gravity-fed system. This system was replaced by an electric pump in 1929 by the new owners, the Cross family. Today, the tower still stands as an impressive ediface and a reminder of the estate's history.
Keen observers may note the evidence of absence; namely, the missing walkways and windmill. Supports for the upper walkway are still visible, as well as the support and mechanism for the windmill on the top of the tower. You may also see the former site of the supports for the lower walkway. Both walkways were removed by the Park Service over concerns for safety, and the windmill was lost to adverse weather.
Keen observers may note the evidence of absence; namely, the missing walkways and windmill. Supports for the upper walkway are still visible, as well as the support and mechanism for the windmill on the top of the tower. You may also see the former site of the supports for the lower walkway. Both walkways were removed by the Park Service over concerns for safety, and the windmill was lost to adverse weather.