Usually they’re simply engraved with “Con Edison” or, strangely enough, “NYC Sewer—Made in India.” But sometimes you can spot one that a 19th century iron works company decided to make a little lovelier.
Like this one, with images of stars and fancy “DPW” lettering, found underfoot on a sidewalk at Fifth Avenue and about 100th Street.
“Croton Water” references the old Croton Aqueduct, completed in 1842, which brought clean water to the city from Westchester’s Croton River.
Even more decorative is this fleur-de-lis cover on the sidewalk on Charlton Street off of Sixth Avenue.
It hides a coal hole, into which coal deliverers dumped their wares. This way, coal could reach a building’s basement, where the furnace was, without mucking up a home or office.
Tags: Charlton Street, coal hole covers, Cornell, Cornell's Iron Works Centre Street, Croton Aqueduct, Croton Water, manhole covers New York City
Ephemeral New York 
May 23, 2011 at 2:20 pm |
Here are some more coal chute covers if you’re interested.
May 23, 2011 at 2:51 pm |
Wow, these are really cool. I also love the carriage post.
May 23, 2011 at 9:19 pm |
when the new luxury bldg was going up on lex between 85th and 86th (because we don’t have enough expensive housing in manhattan), the foundation was dug out and there was an entire line of chutes dropping from lexington into the old tenement cellars. no more to be seen. i didn’t own my little digital camera yet that i now carry with me everywhere.
May 23, 2011 at 9:23 pm
That would’ve been a fascinating photo. There must be construction going on like that now, revealing coal holes and such.
May 24, 2011 at 1:06 am |
If you like manhole covers, you’ll love the Melnicks’ “Manhole Covers” published by The MIT Press:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=5993
October 15, 2012 at 3:19 am |
[…] Many survive to this day, some quite decorative and inventive. […]
October 15, 2012 at 11:27 am |
love the ones on cobblestone streets. have one beauty… care to see?
October 15, 2012 at 11:38 am |
Sure, please share!
January 26, 2013 at 1:07 pm |
[…] See the wonderful blog Ephemeral New York. […]
November 4, 2013 at 5:36 am |
[…] Some especially beautiful covers can be found here. […]
June 1, 2020 at 6:13 am |
[…] stars feel very 19th century. “Water Supply” could certainly mean it was part of the Croton Aqueduct system; its location outside Central Park could be evidence that it had something to do with the receiving […]