Design and construction In the 1850s,
Central Park was proposed by
Croton Aqueduct Board president Nicholas Dean, who chose the site because the Croton Aqueduct's , receiving reservoir would be in the geographical center. This reservoir, built in 1842, was known as the Yorkville Reservoir or the Lower Reservoir and was located on what is now the site of
Turtle Pond. The site to the north was marshland, drained by the
Sawkill. In 1857 a design competition was held for Central Park. The competitors were required to comply with extremely detailed specifications, and to provide at least four east–west transverse roads through the park, a parade ground of , and at least three playgrounds of between . Furthermore, the plans had to incorporate a larger "Upper Reservoir" for the
Croton Aqueduct. The winning design was
Frederick Law Olmsted and
Calvert Vaux's
Greensward Plan. Vaux designed its two pumphouses of Manhattan schist with granite facings. It was never a collecting reservoir, but rather, supplemented the smaller, nearby receiving reservoir. For several months, Central Park's commissioners faced delays and resistance from the New York City common council while attempting to gain funding. A dedicated work force and funding stream was not secured until June 1858. The southern section of Central Park below 79th Street was mostly completed by 1860, and the Croton Aqueduct board also started filling in the Reservoir around this time.
Decommissioning The reservoir was decommissioned in 1993, after it was deemed obsolete because of a new
main under 79th Street that connected with the
Third Water Tunnel, and because of growing concerns that it could become contaminated. Though deemed obsolete, it remained a part of the NYC water supply and it was intended to be used to supplement the city's upstate water supply in drought emergencies. In 2025, the DEP launched a
request for proposals for the adaptive reuse of the reservoir's two gatehouses.
Renaming In 1994 the reservoir was renamed in honor of
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to commemorate her many contributions to the city (which included helping to save
Grand Central Terminal from demolition and helping to restore it as an architectural landmark, protesting against proposed structures that would have marred Central Park's beauty, and serving as a board member of the Municipal Art Society). Furthermore, she enjoyed jogging in the area, and the windows of her apartment at 1040
Fifth Avenue overlooked the reservoir. ==Description==