To spot the Keeper’s House, look straight ahead and find the L-shaped, grey stone building with a slate roof and a cozy little porch-its rugged granite walls make it stand out from the taller brick apartments nearby.
Now, picture yourself standing here in the late 1800s-the Bronx was mostly fields and farms, and this house had just sprung up in 1889, built from the very granite dug out to create the Williamsbridge Reservoir right next door. Imagine the clinks and clatters of those stones being stacked, each one a little piece of the reservoir’s story. The Keeper’s House was where the caretaker of the vast reservoir lived, making sure the city’s thirst was quenched and-probably-keeping a sharp eye out for any sneaky neighborhood kids looking to take a swim! With its 2½ sturdy stories, that quirky L-shape, and its striking combination of slate, clay tiles, and shiny copper gutters, it’s got the look of a fairytale cottage dropped right into the city.
Fast forward to 1999: this house became a historic landmark and got a full makeover thanks to the Mosholu Preservation Corporation, swooping in like the heroes of renovation. Today, it’s not just a pretty face-it’s the bustling headquarters for both the corporation and the Norwood News, keeping the community well cared for, just like the reservoir keeper did over a century ago. What a place-and not a water leak in sight!
