198 The Story of The Bronx 



wheel. In 1855, the mill was declared a public nuisance and 

 danger, as it had long been untenanted. Steps were taken to 

 repair it and convert it into a hotel; but a heavy wind storm 

 blew it down either in that year or the next (1856), and saved 

 the authorities further trouble. Macomb's ventures proved 

 to be unprofitable, and his property was sold under foreclosure 

 in 1 8 10 and bought in by his son Robert. 



The experience at Kingsbridge had shown that sufficient 

 power could not be obtained by the means employed; and so, 

 in 1813, upon petition to the Legislature, Robert Macomb 

 was granted permission to erect a dam across the Harlem 

 River from Bussing's Point, Manhattan, to Devoe's Point 

 in Westchester, thus making of the Harlem River and Spuyten 

 Duyvil Creek a large mill-pond to furnish power for milling 

 purposes. A causeway and bridge were erected at great 

 expense; they were known until about i860 as Macomb's 

 Dam. The gates of the dam admitted the inflow of the flood 

 tide from the East River, but were closed to prevent its outflow 

 on the ebb ; a raceway on the Westchester side conducted the 

 water to the mill wheels by emptying it into Spuyten Duyvil 

 Creek at low tide, whose inflow on the flood tide was checked 

 by the dam at Kingsbridge. 



This scheme worked no more successfully than the preced- 

 ing one; and Robert Macomb, becoming involved financially, 

 was sold out by the sheriff, and the property passed into other 

 hands and the franchises with it. In 1828, the owners were 

 the New York Hydraulic and Bridge Company, who put forth 

 an elaborate plan for mill sites and a manufacturing village, 

 based upon a report made by three of the leading engineers 

 of the country. This plan proposed to dam Tippett's Brook 

 and flood the greater part of the Paparinemo meadows, the 

 water being allowed to run into Spuyten Duyvil Creek at 



