Opened in 1842, High Bridge is New York city's oldest surviving bridge. A preeminent example of yankee ingenuity in conquering tremendous technological obstacles, it was designed by and its construction overseen by John Bloomfield Jervis, chief engineer of the Erie Canal. Jervis, for whom Port Jervis, New York was named, created a Roman-style aqueduct to carry water from the Croton Aqueduct pipes over the Harlem River from The Bronx to Manhattan, overcoming problems of varying land levels and difficult rock formations on both sides. Its beauty and innovative technology made the bridge an instant attraction for visitors, especially engineers from the United States and abroad, and a popular subject for painters and printmakers.

The Croton enterprise introduced water from an upstate source to a rapidly growing New York City. Having crossed High Bridge, the Croton pipes continued down through Manhattan the the distributing reservoir at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.

In 1927, when neighbors of High Bridge on both the Bronx and the Manhattan sides protested the proposed demolition of the bridge to enable movement of large naval vessels through the Harlem River, the compromise was the removal of five arches. This modification altered the appearance of the graceful structure, but saved it as a walkway. In a sense, High Bridge is a very early example of preservation. Although the bridge was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Commission in 1970, today it is fenced off.