Comments on: Valhalla’s Kensico Dam: Photos and History

By: Brian F

Brian F — Mon, 13 May 2024 04:19:20 +0000

In reply to BCarroll.

The stories about seeing buildings from a flooded town under the surface of Kensico Reservoir are not true. The North White Plains Library has posted some good photos and info on this, but in brief, the only portions of old homes displaced by the current Kensico Dam that you can see, are still mostly above ground – foundations and some stone walls visible on the north end of the Big Peninsula, as Route 22 starts to turn left and connect with 120. If you park along King St (120) you can walk out onto the Peninsula and see them up close. If you do the math, the new Kensico Reservoir is over 100 feet higher than the older Lake Kensico it replaced, so any flooded buildings would have to be massively tall to get anywhere near the surface and be seen. I too was told that myth as a child, which is what took me down the path of research to debunk. There were some buildings sacrificed in a village area called Kensico in mid/late 1800’s to from the original/smaller Kensico Dam, but these would have been very small/low buildings and were located mostly on the southwest side of the current reservoir – even if any remnants of these structures still existed today, they would be way too deep to see.

By: Richard Jackson (age 75)

Richard Jackson (age 75) — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 22:44:12 +0000

In October 1776, about 2 miles south of the Kensico Dam site, German Hessian Cannon (hired British mercenaries) raged from the top of the hill near Wyndover Woods Apartments.
“The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War, fought on October 28, 1776 near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington’s Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed troops in Westchester County, intending to cut off Washington’s escape route. Alerted to this move, Washington retreated farther, establishing a position in the village of White Plains but failed to establish firm control over local high ground. Howe’s troops drove Washington’s troops from a hill near the village; following this loss, Washington ordered the Americans to retreat farther north.

Later British movements chased Washington across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. Washington then crossed the Delaware and surprised a brigade of Hessian troops in the December 26 Battle of Trenton.” credit this citation to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_White_Plains

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:06:02 +0000

In reply to Jim Robinson. I found it.

By: Jim Robinson

Jim Robinson — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:04:44 +0000

In reply to Elizabeth. Just posted a reply to you but can not find it. Let me see if I can find this one.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 13:54:40 +0000

In reply to RHFromValhalla. I still don't think the top has been reopened to bikes and pedestrians officially. There are still barricades, and police patrols up there. However, when none of them around, I have little doubt that people still go over it.

By: RHFromValhalla

RHFromValhalla — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:26:48 +0000

I too have very fond memories growing up just up the street from the top of the dam. i live in California now, but visit the dam plaza and walk around almost every time i’m in town. In the 80’s as a teen, we used to swim and fish in the summers( yes, you were not supposed to swim and still are not) but we did. On lower water level days, you could clearly see the top of what looked like a church steeple sticking out of the water. I was told that many structures were intact when they flooded the town of Kensico when building the dam. As kids, I remember countless summers when we used to climb the dam, wlk all around the top and up and dwn the staircases all around the sides, picnic and just hang out. Unfortunately there we many needless suicides jumping off the top of the dam, back in the day when it was a roadway/walkway.
onto more positive memories…You can only marvel at the beauty of the huge limestone blocks and just only imagine what it must have been like to construct something like this during the late 1800, just amazing. There’s a nice write up on Wikipedia you can check out. I was glad to hear they reopened the top again to bikes and pedestrians. I will check out when am back in the spring/warmer months. Thanks for sharing your memories and letting reminisce about the stunning Valhalla Kensico dam.

By: BCarroll

BCarroll — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:33:39 +0000

Thanks for your reply. After I posted, I checked out some maps online and lo and behold, there was an R. Carrol holding land in Kensico. I also looked at an aerial view of the dam now and will try to overlay the two images to see where it may have stood. As I vaguely recall, my aunt pointed out just a chimney and not an entire house.
I recently recieved information that Robert Carroll’s death was recorded in Kensico in July 1889. I’ve been in contact with Mt. Pleasant and they checked the death certificates for July 1889 but could not find his despite my providing the death certificate number. So, I have more work cut out for me. I’m not in the area, in Virginia, and much of this is accomplished by email and snail mail.

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:52:58 +0000

In reply to BCarroll.

Sorry, I can’t help you out on that… I don’t know if you are still in the area, but I know the library in White Plains has a local history room that has old maps. Many of them list the landholders.

I’m not sure if that was a story you were told when you were a kid, or reality. I was, for some reason, under the impression that everything in the town was torn down/burnt prior to the reservoir, but it is possible that there were things visible.

By: BCarroll

BCarroll — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:48:53 +0000

I too rode across the bridge numerous times when I was young. I hope that someone might read this and help me with some info.
When I would ride across the dam, my aunt pointed out, more than once, that if I looked closely I could see the chimney from my gr. gr. grandfather’s home that was covered by the water.
I was too young to understand or ask questions about which gr. gr. grandfather and where and when. I sort of wrote it off as family storytelling. I also figured that my ancestor had worked there rather than owned the farm.
Now, years later, I believe I have stumbled upon some information that has me wondering again.
Does anyone know if there is a list of property owners who were displaced by the dam? I’m looking to find out whether there were any Carroll land owners who were relocated. My gr. gr. grandfather died in 1889 and perhaps the farm was sold before the dam land was purchased. If anyone has any info on land ownership etc. I would very much appreciate it.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:57:22 +0000

I just visited the Dam for the first time, on bike, and they must have lifted the restriction, because I rode my bike across the top of it.