Lake Carnegie (New Jersey)
Lake Carnegie is a reservoir that straddles the borders of the towns of Princeton, West Windsor, Plainsboro and South Brunswick in Mercer and Middlesex counties in central New Jersey. The lake was created by construction of a dam along the Millstone River, though the lower portion of the lake actually follows the valley of its largest tributary, the Stony Brook. The Delaware and Raritan Canal and its associated tow path are situated along the eastern shore of the lake. Noted businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated money for the construction of the lake, which was donated to Princeton University. In 1990, the Lake Carnegie Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
| Lake Carnegie | |
|---|---|
The lake, with Princeton University's Cleveland Tower in the background | |
Lake Carnegie Lake Carnegie | |
| Location | Mercer / Middlesex counties, New Jersey, US |
| Coordinates | 40°22′13.39″N 74°37′17.57″W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Millstone River |
| Primary outflows | Millstone River |
| Basin countries | United States |
Lake Carnegie Historic District | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
| |
| Location | Roughly bounded by Lake Carnegie shoreline from Conrail bridge at W end to dam W of Kingston at E end, Princeton, New Jersey |
| Area | 262 acres (106 ha) |
| Built | 1906 |
| Architect | Pennington Satterthwaite (boathouse) |
| Landscape architect | Howard Russell Butler |
| Architectural style | Mission Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001000 |
| NJRHP No. | 1747 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 28, 1990 |
| Designated NJRHP | January 22, 1990 |
The lake, which is privately owned, is used by the university's rowing team, and is home to the US Olympic rowing team. It is, however, available for public use for activities such as ice skating, fishing, and picnicking. Fish species include largemouth bass, carp, pickerel, crappie, channel catfish and occasionally a few rainbow and brown trout that make their way into Carnegie Lake from Stony Brook. Years of pollution have led to a dangerous decrease in the lake's safety levels. Efforts to improve the water quality of Carnegie Lake are ongoing.
An aerial view of this lake appears in the opening title sequence of the drama series House M.D.