Williamsbridge Oval Keeper’s House

Department of Water Supply (1887-1946)

The Reservoir Keeper’s House, built in 1889 on the edge of Reservoir Oval, is now a national historic landmark and the second-oldest building in the area (#1. Varian House-1758). Its history is as rich and unique as Norwood itself. Built as property of the city, it has since experienced private ownership, and more recently, ownership from Bronx’s largest land developer Montefiore Medical Center.  When the Reservoir was completed in 1887, a designated house was needed for the grounds keeper to live in. Two years later George W. Birdsell, the aqueduct engineer at the time, signed the finished plans and the Williamsbridge Keeper’s House was born. The Keeper’s job was to ensure sanitary and security conditions within the Reservoir. A large part of the job was ensuring residents did not infiltrate the Reservoir.

The two and a half story, L-shaped home, was quite large for the time – almost 5,000 square feet. The house’s framing consisted of granite and stone that was excavated during the building of the actual reservoir. The house has four bedrooms and two bathrooms with an incredibly ornate front porch. Matthew Mallahan, an Irish immigrant, was the first reservoir keeper to live in the building. He was employed by the Department of Water Supply in 1890 and moved into the house upon its completion. Mallahan lived in the building with five younger relatives, a stonemason, and a plasterer. The family was well known for helping recent Irish immigrants find their place in the community. Newcomers were directed to the house where they would receive advice and even help in finding a place to live. The Mallahan’s lived in the Keeper’s House until 1911 when another unknown party took over for the remaining time.

Isaac Barkey (1946-1998)

When the Reservoir closed in 1919, the house sat dormant and fell into disrepair until a private man purchased the house in 1946. Isaac Barkey, a physicist and engineer at the time, bought the home for him and his wife to live in. His wife was currently working at Montefiore Medical Center when he purchased the home in 1946. Having substantial monetary backing, Barkey completely renovated the home installing copper fixtures, aluminum casement windows, and even a bronze Manhattan townhouse door. His work caused him to convert the basement into a sophisticated chemical laboratory where he underwent “confidential research”. His personal copper heating system is still intact throughout the house. Unfortunately, Isaac never finished the house as family conflicts caused him to abandon the construction, and the house sat vacant once again. Isaac Barkey was the second prominent engineer to live in the house. The first being John O’Rourke, Matthew Mallahan’s grandson, who arrived in 1893 to study civil engineering. O’Rourke would later go on to become the engineer for the borough of Manhattan, working on several projects including the Kensico Dam. O’Rourke become heavily vested in Kensico Dam as it was the upstate reservoir where Williamsbridge received its water from.

Mosholu Preservation Corporation (1998-Present)

Isaac Barkey held ownership of the house until 1998 when Dart Westphal, director of the Mosholu Preservation Society (MPC), purchased it from him to be used as a “neighborhood town hall”. The MPC bought the house for $120,000 with funding entirely from Montefiore Medical Center. At the turn of the century, renovations to modernize the building cost the MPC over $350,000 which were again footed by Montefiore Hospital. Today the building serves as the headquarters for Norwood News as well as the Mosholu Preservation Corporation. Isaac Barkey’s copper fixtures and Bronze townhouse door is still intact.

Many thanks to the resources that provided much of the information:

http://www.bronxmall.com/norwoodnews/past/11499/features/page2.html

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/20/realestate/streetscapes-norwood-section-bronx-for-1890-reservoir-keeper-s-house-new-use.html

http://www.mpcbronx.org/realestatedev_keepers.html