Staten Island History 
A look back at history across Staten Island and New York City. Get fast facts about Staten Island, and the events that shaped what the borough is today.
There are currently 23 blog entries related to this category.
The St. George / New Brighton Historic District Staten Island
Saturday, November 12th, 2011 at 9:33am. 205 Views, 0 Comments.
Between the years of 1835 and 1987, dozens of buildings were constructed at the northern tip of Staten Island. Over the years, architectural styles changed and the buildings began to stand out due to their individuality. Having been well-kept over the years, a hearing was held by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the buildings, as well as their boundaries, as a Historic District. On July 19, 1994, the historic district was established as the St. George/New Brighton Historic District.
Several of the buildings in the district had been demolished over the years, leaving some scattered vacant lots. However, seventy-six of the St. George/New Brighton Historic District’s original buildings are still intact. The designated buildings…
Staten Island Historic District at St. George (Part 2)
Saturday, November 12th, 2011 at 7:25am. 235 Views, 0 Comments.
The latter half of the nineteenth century saw the popularization of Colonial Revival architecture, which lasted half-way into the next century. In 1890, Edward A. Sargent constructed a Colonial Revival-style home, at 103 St. Marks Place, for broker Frederick L. Rodewald. A few years later, in 1894, the home that he had constructed in the Gothic Revival-style at 83 St. Marks Place was extended and altered much, where it became a Colonial Revival-style home. At the turn of the century, between 1905 and 1906, lumber merchant George W. Allen had four of these types of houses constructed. Samuel R. Brick, Jr. built the first three, which were located at 29, 31, and 35 St. Marks Place. The last was designed by Edward A. Sargent and was located at 27…
The Historic District of St. George/New Brighton Staten Island (part 3)
Saturday, November 12th, 2011 at 7:24am. 261 Views, 0 Comments.
From 1880 until the turn of the century, the Shingle Style had become increasingly popular. These houses were influenced by the English Colonial, which were common from the early seventeenth century up until the middle of the nineteenth century. From 1886 until 1907, one dozen Shingle Style houses were constructed within the St. George/New Brighton Historic District. The first of these houses, built in the first couple of years for the wealthy banker, Anson Phelps Stokes, were located at 48, 52, and 56 St. Marks Place. Three more houses were built for the same man in 1890 at 7-8, 9-10, and 11 Phelps Place. These houses were designed by architect Douglas Smyth.
Edward A. Sargent, the well-known architect of whom we spoke earlier, designed a few of…
The St. George Historic District. Staten Island... (Part 4)
Saturday, November 12th, 2011 at 7:23am. 258 Views, 0 Comments.
Many houses are solely vernacular in architectural style. Four of these, which were built between the last half of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth century, are located within the St. George/New Brighton Historic District. The first home to be built in the District using local resources was erected between 1853 and 1874. It is uncertain whether this home, which is located at 17 Carroll Place, was built for Henry P. Robertson, who owned the oldest house in the District, or James Wilkinson, who was part of Crabtree & Wilkinson silk dyeworks.
The next three Vernacular-style homes were built during the early twentieth-century. In 1902, Norman Young built a home at 226 Hamilton Avenue for George Gregory. It has not…
The Outerbridge Crossing. New York State's southernmost bridge.
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 at 2:07pm. 57 Views, 0 Comments.
On April 30, 1921, the Port of New York Authority was established as a bi-state authority between New York and New Jersey. Two years later, the port had announced that two bridges would be constructed under their authority between Staten Island and New Jersey. The bridges would connect northwestern Staten Island with Elizabeth, New Jersey and southwestern Staten Island with Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The bridge gave Staten Island’s South Shore Residents and commercial business access to New Jersey, which would ultimately lead to demise of Tottenville to Perth Amboy Ferry in the 1950’s.Today, the ferry terminal is abandoned, but still intact at the foot of the Tottenville Train Station.
The southwestern bridge was given a steel cantilever design…
The Staten Island Ferry and Terminal- Staten Island's Transportation Hub.
Sunday, November 6th, 2011 at 10:56am. 1101 Views, 0 Comments.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Staten Island was connected to Manhattan, Long Island, and New Jersey by ten different ferries that operated from different locations on the Island. This all ended in 1886, when St. George became the sole ferry terminal on Staten Island. By 1897, passengers had to pay five cents to take the one-hour ride to Lower Manhattan. In 1975, and again in 1990, the cost of the ferry became twenty-five cents and fifty cents, respectively. By 1997, however, the fare had ended and the ferry became, and remains, free for commuters and sightseers. The Staten Island Ferry Terminal is currently the main terminus for Staten Island’s ferries, its Railroad line, and many of the local buses.
There are four…
English Colonial Style Home Architecture
Monday, October 31st, 2011 at 7:11am. 248 Views, 0 Comments.
The majority of today’s society has heard of the Salem Witch Trials of late-seventeenth-century Massachusetts. Those who are familiar with the origins of the trials know that the mass hysteria erupted due to the beliefs of Puritans. The Puritans were English Protestants, similar to the French Huguenots we speak of so often on here, who had a very strict belief system. They believed that any
hardships they had were due to the work of the devil and that anybody who strayed even the slightest from their beliefs was in cahoots with the devil, and persecuted as a witch.
These beliefs began with the Puritans in England and accompanied them in the years between 1620 and 1640, when the “Great Migration” took place to New England, in America. …
Federal Style Home Architecture
Thursday, October 27th, 2011 at 4:07pm. 80 Views, 0 Comments.
The American Revolutionary War took place between the thirteen well-known North American colonies and the British Empire between the years of 1775 and 1783. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress and the United States of America was established. The time period from the end of the 1780s until the turn of that century was known as the Federalist Era, due to the prominence of Federalists, who supported George Washington, as opposed to Thomas Jefferson.
During the War, a new architectural style was introduced to the United States. The style began as the Adam Style, which was named for the Scottish brothers, Robert and James Adam. The Adam brothers had study ancient monuments and used this style as inspiration for…
Dutch Colonial Style Home Architecture
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 at 2:00pm. 393 Views, 0 Comments.
The Dutch Colonial Home... A mainstay of the architectural lanscape of Staten Island's more established communities.
As you may know, Henry Hudson explored the eastern shore of the United States in 1609. This exploration led to a settlement being established in 1613, which in turn led to the creation of New Netherland, which included parts of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The primary motive for settling in this area was to trade with the Indians, who inhabited the land. Eventually, more Dutch emigrants settled in the area, along with Huguenots, who were fleeing Europe, and began to build homes for themselves out of stone and wood. The signature style that was used in Delaware, New Jersey, New York and…
The Goethals Bridge, Staten Island
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 at 8:12am. 409 Views, 0 Comments.
The Goethals Bridge, Staten Island
For years, ferries serviced the island, taking residents from Staten Island to New Jersey and vice versa. During the late 1860’s, the idea of a bridge connecting the two was introduced. In 1890, a railroad bridge was constructed, connecting Elizabethport, New Jersey and Staten Island’s Howland Hook Marine Terminal. After the First World War, which lasted from 1914 to 1918, the demand rose for a bridge that could accommodate automobile traffic. By 1923, the New York and New Jersey Bridge and Tunnel Commission announced that they would be constructing two bridges that would serve such a purpose; one connecting northwestern Staten Island to New Jersey and the other connecting southwestern Staten…
