In 1894, Longmeadow was poised to begin its rapid expansion from a small farming community to the fully built-up suburb of today. Streetcar trolley tracks were being laid the length of Longmeadow Street and farmland was being sold to housing developers, both measures enabling people to work in Springfield while living in Longmeadow. Town records for the next decades reflect officials’ busy efforts to create the infrastructure needed to support both the existing and the new sections of town.
One of their concerns was the sufficiency of water supplies to support both drinking water and firefighting efforts. A committee was formed to explore available options; this committee recommended using water from the existing mill pond (today, part of the Longmeadow Country Club). At a contentious “long town-meeting” in early September, this solution was rejected and the town voted instead to acquire water from Thompsonville, Connecticut. After the town meeting, officials quickly determined that Thompsonville did not have the capacity to provide for Longmeadow’s water needs. Another town meeting was quickly held on October 4 and the town decided on a third solution - creating its own water facility by damming up Cooley Brook.
The new waterworks on Cooley Brook included a dammed pond, a screen, a steam pump, a water tower, a standpipe storage tank, and an engineer’s house.
The newly established Water Board reported in the 1894-1895 Annual Report that “we believe unhesitatingly that the Town has a sufficient supply of the best of spring water to serve a place of three times the population…”
The Water Board, however, was overly optimistic and additional facilities were soon needed. In 1911, the town voted unanimously to build a new pumping station and a new concrete reservoir.
Yet, even this new capacity was insufficient to provide for the burgeoning town’s drinking water and firefighting needs. In 1926, the town voted to join the Springfield water system and the waterworks were abandoned.
In 1934, Longmeadow transferred the Water Commission lands to the Parks Department. Having no need for a waterworks facility, the Parks Department either removed or repurposed the existing buildings.
The concrete reservoir built in 1911 became the town swimming hole, known to all as “The Pump”. It served this purpose until 1954 when the wading pool portion of The Pump collapsed into a sinkhole. Thankfully for children who wished to swim, the nearby pools at Bliss Park were nearing completion.
The brick pumping station was repurposed as bath houses for children using The Pump.
The water tower, which loomed 105 feet over the surrounding neighborhood, was slated for demolition, a process more challenging than expected. The initial attempt to dismantle it on July 25, 1936 was unsuccessful.
For nine days, The Springfield Republican cheerfully reported on the durability of the tower which simply refused to fall. No longer capable of storing water, the tower had become home to a flock of pigeons. Because of the tower’s close proximity to St. Andrew’s Church and the swimming pool, the demolition contractor was hesitant to use destructive technology such as dynamite. Finally, on August 3, the tower fell, forcing all of those pigeons to find new lodging.
Today, Laurel and Bliss Parks are on the land of the former waterworks. Though most of the waterworks has disappeared, traces remain if you know where to look. The western dam of Laurel Pond was originally the dam of the 1895 reservoir, and portions of the 1911 concrete reservoir are still visible in the pond. Another remnant, the plate listing the initial Water Board (originally attached to the water tower), is now part of the collections of the Longmeadow Historical Society.
Originally published May 23, 2024
Sources:
Archives of the Longmeadow Historical Society
Springfield Republican: September 6, 1894; October 5, 1894; July 26, 1936; July 30, 1936; August 1, 1936; August 4, 1936
Enhancing Ecology in the Heart of Longmeadow: Two Visions for Bliss and Laurel Parks
Revitalizing Cooley Brook in Bliss and Laurel Parks, Savannah Bailey and Brett Towle, Spring 2023
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Longmeadow, Hampden County, Massachusetts. Sanborn Map Company, Aug, 1924. Map
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