8. Union Square Once Had a Fountain Celebrating the Croton Aqueduct

The celebration of the Croton Aqueduct. Image via New York Public Library

When the Croton Reservoir aqueduct was completed in 1842, New York City residents could finally receive uncontaminated supplies of water. This was a huge achievement considering the cholera epidemic that hit New York ten years prior. Thus, in celebration, a large central fountain was erected in Union Square the same year.