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STATEN ISLAND WALKING TOURS

Preservation League of Staten Island

Researched and written by Shirley Zavin and Elsa Gilbertson

Cartography : Elsa Gilbertson Design and Production: Nancy Waters and Deborah Wasse r Sachs Photo Research and Selection : Eloise Beil and Charles Sachs This publication is made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and by the Staten Island Council on th e Arts with public funds from the dec entralization program of the New York Stat e Council on the Arts.

Illustrations courtesy of the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences (SIlAS) and the Staten Island Historical Society (SIHS).

Prin ted by Wallin Enterprises Inc.

Published by th e Preservation League of Stat en Island Š 1986 Preservation Leagu e of Staten Island Cover illustration : 94 Clinton Avenue , 1886 , architectural rendering by Edward A. Sargent, courtesy of M. Johnson collection.

CONTENTS

Int rodu ct ion

4

New Bright on Walkin g Tou r

6

Stap leton a nd Clifton Walk ing Tour

18

Por t Richm ond Walking Tour

30

Kreisch erville/Cha rles ton Walking Tour

40

Prince's Bay Walking Tour

4 8

INTRODUCTION

PRINCE'S BAY

4

We take great pleasure in inviting you to explore Stat en Island's long and varied history. The places seen on these self足 guid ed walking tours embody the most signifi cant asp ects of the Island 's past.

Colonial peri od dwellings recall Staten Island 's sev enteenth and eighteeenth century exist ence as a relatively isolated community wh ose inhabitant s gain ed th eir livel ih ood s principally by farming and in maritime trades . In the ninet eenth century Staten Island 's proximity to the growing metropolis acr oss the h arbor made it an ideal location for the establishment of large inst itutional co mplexes, the earliest of which - the Quarantine Station (1799), Seam an 's Retreat (183 1) and Sailor s' Snu g Harbor (1833) - reflect th e island 's history as an integral part of the Port of Ne w York .

It was also in the nineteenth century, beginning with Tompkinsville in 1817, that Staten Island's many small villag es ca me into being - some in the vicin ity of the lar ge institutions , others ne ar manufactur足 ing establishments, and still others around th e early landing places w hich assum ed increasing impo rtance as ferry services to New Jersey, Manhattan and Brooklyn proliferated and expanded .

Starting in th e 1830s , Staten Island 's nearness to the city, in com binatio n with its hilly terrain which offered panoramic view s of the surro unding wa ters, attracted a ne w merchant class seeking respite from the clam ors of urban life. Offerin g a bucolic contrast, Staten Island was perceived as the ideal sett ing for the development of the

city' s first picturesqu e subur bs. Delightful Gothic Revival and Italianate sty le villas and cottages - many designed by the na足 tion's leading architects - dotted the isla nd 's hills and sho res . Stat en -Island 's pot ential as a co nve nien tly located res ort was recognized at th e sa me tim e. Summer gardens and hotels - some lavi sh , some simple - be gan to app ear .

Our walks through th is hist ory will rev eal how numerous are the tr aces of it which survive. They will also rev eal how ofte n this legacy has bee n veiled by subse足 qu ent changes and alteration s, some less than sympathetic to the historic characte r of the buildings they sought to imp rove .

Th e precari ou s future of some portions of our hist ori c enviro nme nt will be no less evident.

It is th e hope of th e Preservation League of Staten Island that th e rich heritage to be se en on these wa lking tours w ill inspi re you to join with tho se of us w ho se ek to p reserve those pla ces which pr ovide a tan gible link to our pers onal and colle ctive pasts.

We are grat eful to th e Ne w York State Council on the Arts and the Staten Island Council on the Arts for the assistance w hich made thi s publi cati on poss ible .

Mitch ell Grubler, President Preservation League of Staten Island

CAUTION:

Private homes, obs erv e courtesy.

5

NEW BRIGHTON WALKING TOUR

1

'' --- -

6

-足

1. Site of Sailors' Snug Harbor Dock, Kill van Kull off Richmond Terrace 2. Fence and West Gate,

Sailors' Snug Harbor

3. Randall Statue,

Sailors' Snug Harbor

4. Richmond Terrace Gatehouse Sailors' Snug Harbor 5 . Buildings A - E,

Sailors' Snug Harbor

6. Site of

Randall Memorial Church,

Music Hall,

Sailors' Snug Harbor

7. Neptune Fountain

Sailors' Snug Harbor

8. Neville -Tysen House,

(The Old Stone Jug)

806 Richmond Terrace

9. Judge Jacob Tysen House

[Old Physician's Residence),

355 Fillmore Street

10. Unitarian Church, 312 Fillmore Street 11. J. Maxwell Carrere House, 75 Clinton Avenue 12. 80 Clinton Avenue 13. 94 Clinton Avenue

14. 93 Clinton Avenue 15. 160 Clinton Avenue 16. Adolph Rodewald House, now St. Peter's School.

200 Clinton Avenue 17. Jonathan Goodhue House, now Goodhue Center, 304 Prospect Avenue 18. 254 Prospect Avenue 19. Ellicott Place 20. a, b, c. 18, 35, and 25 Ellicott Place 21. 15 Ellicott Place 22. 232 Prospect Avenue 23. 215 Prospect Avenue 24. 270 Lafayette Avenue 25. 280 Lafayette Avenue 26. 172 Prospect Avenue 27. 158 Prospect Avenue 28. P.S. 40, corner Henderson and Lafayette Avenues 29. Gateposts, Henderson Avenue opposite Grace Court 30. 109 Henderson Avenue 31. 133 Henderson Avenue 32. 139 Henderson Avenue 33. Corner of Henderson and Clinton Avenues

7

NEW BRIGHTON WALKING TOUR

View of proposed ViI/age of New Bright on from 1836 real estate prospectus, P. A . Me sier, lithographer, SIlAS.

If yo u're traveling by pub lic transportat ion from the St. Geo rge ferry termi nal, tak e the S-l (Richmond Terr ace ) bus an d get off at the Sailors' Sn ug Har bor stop ju st befo re Snug Harbor Road (abo ut a two mil e rid e).

Thi s tour expl ores t he h isto ry of New Brig hto n, the m et ropoli tan area's first rom anti c suburb , begun in 1834, and Sailors' Sn ug Har bor , one of Staten Island 's tw o large early nin etee nth century ins titu ­ tions for sea men . (See the Clifto n wa lking tour for th e hi st ory of Seaman's Retreat , ope ned in 1831. ) Named afte r Bright on , the English seaside resort , New Brighton w as originally developed as a summ er reso rt and res ide n tia l comm unity by the New Brigh ton Associat ion , a gro up of Ma nhat­ tan bu si nessmen that acq uired co nsider­ able property here - fro m Hyatt St reet to Sailors Snug Ha rb or. Appeali ng to Manhat­ tan .res iderits de si rous of escaping th e summer heat a nd crowded cond itions of the city , the Associa tion 's adver tisi ng boasted th at New Bright o n possessed " ...a beauty of locati on , ex te nt of prospect and sa lubrity of clima te that w ill in va in be sough t else where. " Th e ea rliest subur ban hou ses in New Brigh ton were built along Richmon d Ter­ race be tween Hamilton and Westervelt Avenues. Of th ese only one remai ns - the 8

c. 1834 Greek Revival "Pavili o n on the Te rr ace " at 404 Ric hmond Te rr ac e. In the ne igh bor hood tha t is the foc us of thi s tour , the westernmost po rtio n of New Brighton, th e ea rliest surviving sub urban residen ces are th e Judge Jacob Tyse n Hou se I#9 on th e to ur) and th e Jonath a n Goodhue Ho use of 1841 (#17 on the tour). From t hat da te onwa rd, suburban development co ntin ue d in thi s area , slowly a t fir st but accele ra ting tow a rd th e end of the 19th ce n tury . On yo ur wa lk you wi ll see th is evo lution a nd th e variety of architectura l sty les associated with it.

Sailors ' Snug Har bor wa s the nation's first home for reti red seam en . It op ened its doors in 1833.to receive " aged , decrepi t & wo rn out sailors," as stip ulated in th e 1801 w ill of its founde r, Robert Randall , w ho th us return ed to the sea th e fortune he and hi s fath er (a sh ipo w n e r , trad er an d pr iva teer ) had ga ine d from it. T h e hom e was to have bee n esta blished on the Ran­ da ll farm which lay jus t north of tod ay 's Washin gton Square Pa rk . Ch allenges to Ran da ll's wi ll de layed 'im ple me n tation of its te rms until th e ea rly 1830 s. By then a northward expa ndi ng Manhattan caused the Snug Harbor T ru ste es to seek a mo re isolat ed locat ion , and in 1831 the Isaac Housman fa rm on Sta ten Islan d was ac ­ quired fo r th e new ins titutio n .

This tour starts with a walk along the fence in front of the Sailor s' Snug Harbor grounds, and comments on those buildings and features visible from the sidewalk . If you 'd like to explore Snug Harbor still fur­ ther, call the Snug Harbor Cultural Center (718-448-25001 for information concerning guided tours , cultural events and gallery exhibitions.

1. Site of Sailors' Snug Harbor Dock,

Kill van Kull off Richmond Terrace As you look toward the water, you can see the remains of the cobblestone road and stone wall that led to the Snug Harbor dock . This dock was in place by the fall of 1831 when materials began arriving here for the construction of the first Harbor building (Building C) . Th e stone for Building C came by barge down the Hud­ son River from Ossining where it was .quar­ ried by prisoners at Sing Sing . Later, after the Harbor opened, a ferry made several stops here daily, often ta-king retired seamen into Manhattan for daytrips.

2. Fence and West Gate, Sailors' Snug Harbor This handsome wrought and cast iron fence was designed in 1841-42 by English­ born architect Frederick Diaper, who

modeled it on the Cumberland Gates at Hyde Park, Engl and . It was built several years later by New York City smith William Alexander. The iron fence replac­ ed a wooden fence constructed after rules banning drunkenness on the penalty of expulsion were repeatedly broken by some Harbor residents . The seamen did have the freedom to come and go as they pleased during the day , but with the fence, traffic in and out was monitored at three gate lodges.

The West Gatehouse, now used as the main entrance to Snug Harbor , was built in 1880 by Richard P. Smyth as the carriage delivery entrance.

To the west of the gatehouse were scales (still here today) to weigh loaded vehicles as they passed through.

3 . Randall Statue, Sailors' Snug Harbor On May 30, 1884, the nine foot memorial statue to Robert Randall, designed by famous sculptor of the period , Augustus Saint-Gaudens , was unveiled . Not a por­ trait likeness, it is rather an idealiz ed image of a colonial sea captain. The present statue was cast from th e original which is now in Sea Level, North Carolina, the new home of Sailors' Snug Harbor.

Bird's-eye view of Sailors ' Snug Harbor, 1898, SIIAS.

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NEW BRIGHTON 4 . Ric h m o nd Terra ce Gatehouse , Sailors' Sn ug Harbor Centered in fro nt of th e first build ing at Snug Harbor is the main gate ho use, bui lt in 1873 by Port Richmond resid ent Richard P. Smyt h , the harbor builder/sup eri nt en ­ dent at the tim e. Smyth, born in England, was trained the re before coming to Stat en Island . Its Italianate bracketed eaves , quoins around the arche d en trance way and marking the corners, an d the cupo la (note the red glass], and th e Fre nch Second Empire dormers mak e th is b u ildi ng de lightfully eclectic .

5. Buildings A - E, Sa ilors ' Snug Harbor This handso me group of fiv e Gr eek Revival bu ildin gs, the main gate house, chape l, and iron fence are both New York City and Nation al Historic Landmar ks. The central bu ilding, Building C, was th e first one to be built at the Har bor. It was desig n­ ed in 1831 by New Yor k architec t Min ard Lafever , author of seve ral pop ular ha nd­ books for bui lders, and was constr ucted by

Sam ue l Thom pson , also of New York .

Lafever based th e por tico design on a Greek temple n ear Athens , illustra ted in a book by tw o Englishmen (James Stuart and Nic ho las Revell) containing meas ured drawings of the ant iquities of Athens, first publis he d in 1762.

All as pec ts of Harbor life were housed in the 34 roo ms of thi s first building until th e two flanking str uctur es and connecting wi ngs , all part of Lafeve r's origina l plan, were erected - Buildi ng B to th e right in 1839-40, and Buildi ng D to the left in 1840 -41. The tw o outer b uild ings, A and E, built by Rich ard P. Smy th date from 1879 and 1880-81. Th ey are rather remarka ble since th e Harbor T rustees deci de d to built th em in the Greek Revival style to match the first three buildings even thou gh this style no longer enjoyed its earlier popularity. Alth ou gh sim ilar to Build ing C, they ar e not slavish cop ies, eac h h avin g six Ionic colum ns ins tead of eight . Notice too on th e sides , th e round h eaded wi ndows in the middle of th e seco nd floor .

• i

Randall M emorial Church, Sailo rs' Snug Harbor, c. 1910, SIlA S.

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6. Site of Randall Memorial Church, Music Hall, Sailors ' Snug Harbor To the left of the Mu sic Hall stood the wh ite marble Ran da ll Memorial Church des igned by Robert W. Gibson , an English born and trained architec t, and bui lt from 1890-92 . A most imposing structure with a large Rena issa nce- inspired dome and twin towers, it was a hig h ly visib le lan d 足 ma rk on the Staten Island waterfront.

When Sailors ' Sn ug Harbor was beset by financial diffic ulties after World Wa r II, the church wa s close d for wan t of costly repa irs and the n torn down in 1952 after several attempts to preserve it ha d failed .

Gibson also d esigned the Music Hall, b uilt at the sa me time by State n Island car penter Henry C. Decker. Its pitch ed pe di me n t [steeper than those of Bldgs. A - E), and arc he s over th e entra nce doors echoe d those of the church , and both were visua lly tied to the end buildi ngs of th e main block by the use of six Ionic colum ns .

Staged in the Music Hall wer e va udev ille ac ts and m us ical program s. Extremely popu lar were mo tion pic tures - silen ts begin ni ng in 1911 and " talkies" in 1933.

7. Neptune Fountain, Sailors ' Snug Harbor This fountain was built in 1893 as the focal point for the area in front of the chu rch and Mu sic Hall , which were com足 ple ted the year before. It was des igned and bu ilt by the J-W . Fiske Com pan y of Manhatt an . Flowers were planted in the urn s aro und the rim of the poo l.

8 . Neville-Tysen House (The Old Stone Jug), 806 Richmond Terrace Thi s hou se, a New Yor k City landmark and on the Natio nal Register of Historic Places, was built in the 1770s by Ca ptain Joh n Nev ille, a reti red naval officer, and was one of a numbe r of colonial houses along the Kill van Kul!. A rare su rvivor , it is so mewhat unusual being two stories tall inst ead of th e more co m mo n 1 or 11/ 2 stor ies of most Stat en Island colonia l houses. Also interestin g is that it is built not of th e typ ical rough fieldston es, bu t rather of cu t stone bloc ks w h ich pro bably came from quarries in New Jersey.

In the early 19th ce nt ury , it was the hom e of Jud ge Jacob Tysen (1773 -1848), member of an old Staten Island fami ly an d promine nt in h is own right. He was a Rich mond Coun ty judge from 1822 to 1840 , served in the U .S. H ouse of Rep resen tatives from 1823 to 1825, and was a New York State Senator in 1828. His son Rich ard , born here , was one of Staten Island 's first histori an s. In 1834, Tysen buil t a new house (next on your tour) . Thi s house eventua lly became th e " O ld Stone Jug," a mos t po pular p lace w ith so me of the Harb or residents next door search ing for a bit of grog . In the early 1900s, it was called the Kn ickerbocker Hotel an d th en Mea rs Hot el.

Neville-Tysen House, 1932, Percy Sperl', photographer , S1HS .

9. Judge Jacob Tysen House (Old Physician' s Residence), 355 Fillmore Street Judge Ty sen 's Hou se, built in 1834 , orig inally stood on the co rne r of Richmond Terrace and Ty sen Stree t faci ng th e wa ter.

Th e spacious gro unds commanded a splen足 did view of th e Kill van Kull, and had man y fr uit, grape, and berry bushes and trees.

Acquired by th e Snug Harbor Trust ees in 1885 , it was moved back to th is locati on for use as th e Ph ysicia n 's Residen ce . Th e orig ina l Physician 's Residen ce had been torn down in that year to create an ope n lawn in front of whe re th e Church and Mu sic hall (#6 on tour) wo uld be built.

Thi s hou se is a sp le nd id exam ple of Staten Islan d G reek Re vival arc hitec ture , in which standard fea tures of th e per iod are combine d with m uc h olde r and mo re II

NEW BRIGHTON local traditional building forms. Quite unlike its New Brighton contemporaries along Richmond Terrace, which had tem足 ple fronts and columns like the first building at Snug Harbor, the portico of this house is not topped by a pediment but rather by a large spring eave (a form dating from very early colonial times). The fluted columns and lovely front door en framed

by Ionic columns and pilasters are more typical elements of the style. Notice too on the sides of the main block of the house the large arched attic window with curved muntins flanked by quarter round win足 dows, both features used in the early 1800s - stylistic holdovers here. The right wing bay window was probably added when the house was moved in 1890.

Unitarian Church, c. 1908, Charles Steinrock ,

photographer, SlllS.

10. Unitarian Church, 312 Fillmore Street Erected in 1895, this is actually the third church building of this congregation which dates back to 1851. This church, the second on this site, is one of the earliest buildings designed by Brooklyn architect Frank H .

Quinby [1868-1932). who began practicing in 1893. An early member and president of the Brooklyn chapter of the American Institute of Architects, he also served on the board of directors of the Long Island Historical Society, Goodwill Industries, and the Association for Improving the Con足 dition of the Poor. Other works of his include the Din ing Hall and Laundry at Staten Island's Farm Colony, the Brighton 12

Beach grandstand, and lofts, mills, and office buildings in Manhattan.

Architectural features of interest here include the four small gabled dormers with their stained glass windows , the stuccoed gable ends, and the brick former bell-cote that protrudes above the roofline to the left of the main entrance . To the rear is the many gabled rectory, which dates from the early 1900s.

11.

J.

Maxwell Carrere House, 75 Clinton Avenue One of the most unusual and imaginative houses on Clinton Avenue was built for and designed by J. Maxwell Carrere, a civil engineer, and his wife Cornelia about 1891-92. In this house, notice the shingled second story (featuring oval windows flanking a central oriel with delicate tracery in the top sashes) which flares out on the sides and slightly in front to sug gest a gambrel roof. Its feeling of lightness contrasts with the heavy dark granite porch posts below, and together they contrast with the bay and tower section to the right.

Note here the attached pilasters with their unusual capitals dividing the windows of the first floor bay, and the swags and wreaths decorating the frieze area below the tower eaves.

12 . 80 Clinton Avenue Of particular interest in this large two story house (now altered from its original appearance) is the enormous Palladian window on the right hand side. Designed by the architectural firm of Berg & Clark, it was built for Mrs . H .G. VanVechten in 1889 at a cost of $8000.

13. 94 Clinton Avenue This large house was designed by Edward A. Sargent and built for $5000 in 1886 for Mrs . H.G . VanVechten . Sargent, born and trained in England , lived on Staten Island and designed many buildings here , including several schools and numerous residences, This multi-gabled dwelling sided with beveled clapboards and shingles (in a staggered pattern) sports

a wealth of int er esting detail. In the center of the second floor front wall is an or ­ nam ental pan el. Note the small panes of glass abo ve it and the windows to each side, a typi cal fea ture of the Qu een Anne style . On the right side is a tw o-story section with woo den br ack ets und erneath .

Th e larg e stain ed glass windows on the se­ cond floor are parti cularl y splendid . In the sa me year Sargent had also designed a house to the right of this one at a cost of $7000 for Spire Pitou , an oil dealer. It was lat er repl aced by th e present stru cture at 88 Clint on Avenue.

I'

94 Clin ton A venue, 1886, archi tectural rendering

by Edw ard A. Sa rgent, M . Johnson Collection.

14. 93 Clinton Avenue Built by th e early 1890s, this shingled house received a Preservation Leagu e of Staten Island hou se award in 1983 for sen­ sitive restoration of th e front por ch. Note the m any side d corn er tower with candle­ snuffer roof topp ed by a sailing ship weathervane .

15. 160 Clinton Avenue The Rodew ald family (see # 16) on ce owned the wh ole Clinton Avenue block­ front to your right bet ween Cassidy and Henderson, on which stood a lar ge ma sonry hou se torn down in th e ea rly 1900s. Th e Rodewald s w er e just one of a number of Germanic families in this area, most of whom built imposing masonry residen ces (unusual for Staten Island wh ere wood frame houses were far m ore com ­ mon). This handsome th ou gh somewhat alt ered Coloni al Revival hous e was bu ilt about 1920. Notice the row of dentils under th e roof line, and on the sid es th e tw o

qu arter -round attic w indows. This same type of window was se en earlier in the 1834 Judg e Jacob Tysen House (#9 on tour) wh ere it was a hold ove r from a n earli er styl e - the same styl e is bein g reviv ed in this house .

16 . Adolph Rodewald House,

now St. Peter's School,

200 Clinton Avenue

Constructed c. 1857 for German-born m erchant and broker Adolph Rodewald, th is house was sold in 1886 to Nich olas Muller (born in Luxembou rg), a m er chant , banker , three tim e U.S . Congressm an, major figure in th e New York State Demo cratic Party, and owner of a number of other prope rties in th e area. Alth ough basically simi la r to the Goodhue Hou se (next on your tour ) - a three story cube ab ove a tall bas em ent- ornamentation here is much more elaborate . Twin pediments mark th e lat er al sections of th e facade; elaborate almo st Baroque-inspired frames enc ircle the oc ulus window in eac h . Win ­ dow surrounds are of intere st ; th eir slight po in t is emphasized by the key stone. Den­ tils , scro llwor k and orn ame ntal bra ck ets appear at several locations. Th e colum ns of the facade -wide porch are unusual in th at the y employ what is know as an en­ tasis - a convex bulg e midway up th e col­ umn, an architectural subtlety introduced originally by th e an cient Gr eek s. Thi s and th e oth er ornamentation suggest that a sop histicated architect designed this struc­ tu re, Up the slope to the left of the house is seen the ston e wall marking the boun­ dary lin e between th e Goodhue and Rodewald properties. The tr ees yo u see beyond the house mark the grounds of the Sailo rs ' Snug Harbor Cem etery.

17. Jonathan Goodhue House, now Goodhue Center, 304 Prospect Avenue Like man y of Stat en Island' s first subur­ banites, Jonathan Goodhue was an impor­ tant figure in the life of the Port of New York .

Ori ginally from Sal em, Massa chu setts, by 1809 he had establish­ ed Goodhue and Co. in New York Cit y, a comm ission firm which acted on behalf of shipping interests throughout the wo rld .

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NEW BRIGHTON When this house (called' 'Woodbrook" on early maps) was built on 73 acres in 1841, Clinton Avenue was opened up as Goodhue's private drive to provide access to the property from Richmond Terrace.

An imposing structure in the Renaissance Revival style (unusual for Staten Island), it is the third oldest suburban residence (after the Pavilion on the Terrace at 404 Richmond Terrace and the Judge Jacob Tysen House) still standing in New Brighton. The house is basically a three story cube atop a full basement. Prominent and characteristic features include the pro­ jecting cornice supported by brackets, and the center emphasis achieved by the pro­ jecting bay with angle quoining and en­ trance portico; quoins mark the corners of the house as well. The siting of this house is particularly beautiful. Set at the brow of the incline rising above Prospect Avenue, the house is bathed in light and air and establishes a dramatic presence in the surrounding landscape. The house remain­ ed in the possession of the Goodhue fami­ ly until it was donated to the Children's Aid Society in 1912.

18.254 Prospect Avenue Despite modern wall coverings, this re­ mains one of the most attractive and unusual of the late 19th century houses built in this neighborhood. Constructed c.

1890 for insurance broker William H. Davidge, the house is notable for its asym­ metrical plan and arrangement of masses.

Facades on Prospect Avenue and Ellicott Place differ; repeated throughout, however, are the curved lines, flowing shapes and gable forms suggestive of the Shingle Style. Note too the projecting bays and long narrow transoms above windows.

19. Ellicott Place Although no houses were built on Ellicott Place until the mid-1880s, the street had been laid out and the land divided into building plots by 1872. It was a small part of the much larger area - land on both sides of Lafayette Avenue from Prospect to Brighton Avenue - that had been acquired by real estate developer H. Tracy Arnold. The genesis of the street name is suggested by the name of one of his daughters - Lillian Ellicott Arnold.

20. a, b, c. 18,35, and 25 Ellicott Place

jonathan Goodhue Mansion (Children's Aid Society), SIHS.

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These three houses were constructed by Francis B. Kinney at exactly the same time as 15 Ellicott (next on your tour), a house to which these form an instructive contrast.

Despite alterations and additions to 18 and 25 Ellicott, all three are clearly the work of the same builder and share similar features, most notably the hip roof, dormer windows with wide eaves and the decorative band applied below the roof. 35 Ellicott is the best preserved. Cornice brackets remain as does the wide porch with its slender, interestingly-layered porch posts. The original picturesque effect of these relatively simple houses is best suggested here. 25 Ellicott, built as a twin to 35, has been enlarged by a two story addition on the south side. The original porch has been replaced by an enclosed entry similar to that of 18 Ellicott. From the beginning 18 Ellicott was the developer 's grander model. In 1886, Kinney sold it for

$7000 to Phillip Kobbe, a Manhattan businessman. In the same year, 25 Ellicott was sold for $3800 to Benjamin Richards, and 35 Ellicott to Thomas Humphries for $3700. Both were later sold to Thomas Ryan .

21. 15 Ellicott Place Hallmarks of the Queen Anne style distinguish what must be regarded as the " Queen " of Ellicott Place; they include applied sunbursts in gables and alternating bands of contrastingly cut shingles. Con­ structed c. 1886 by New York City developer Francis S. Kinney (the later owner of H. Tracy Arnold's undeveloped properties) in what was for a time known as Kinney Park, it was acquired that same year by Henning Taube , a manufacturer with a business in Newark, New Jersey.

22. 232 Prospect Avenue This house has undergone a number of changes, but the Queen Anne flavor has not been entirely lost. Note, for example, the bands of saw-tooth shingles which alternate with straight edged shingles. The house was constructed in the early 1890s

by George Rudolf Mosie, a tea importer.

The architects may have been the firm of Carrere and Hastings (see #11) . By 1898 Mosie had purchased the Queen Anne house at 15 Ellicott; the two houses together appear to have formed a family enclave which is designated "Maplebank" on maps of that date.

23. 215 Prospect Avenue This is one of the most imposing of the late 19th century houses built along Pro­ pect Avenue . Constructed in 1891 for Manhattan businessman Russell Bleeker, an importer of teas like George Mosie (owner of 232 Prospect), it unites elements of the Shingle and Colonial Revival styles.

The array of porches, the repeated gable forms of the facade, and the three-story projecting bay on the west side of the house with its upper level "observation porch" are among the striking features .

24. 270 Lafayette Avenue Constructed in the early 1890s for Dr. Henry W. Bath, a veterinary surgeon, this house with its boxy projecting bays and

obliquely juxtaposed sections is as angular in its total effect as 254 Prospect (# 18 on the tour) is flowing and curvilinear. Win­ dows here are especially interesting with the use of stained glass at various locations and thin decorative mullions inserted in the upper half of the first floor windows.

25. 280 Lafayette Avenue This and 172 Prospect Avenue, both Second Empire style houses built in 1872 by developer H. Tracy Arnold, are the first houses to have been built in this section of New Brighton after the two earliest - the Goodhue House (1841) and the Rodewald House (c. 1857) . Illustrated on real estate brochures published by Arnold, they and the neighborhood intended for develop­ ment by him are described in some of the most florid prose ever penned in praise of Staten Island. This beautiful suburb of "emerald hills and cool, shaded valleys, broad avenues lined with palatial villas ...(and) spread out before them ...one of the most MAGNIFICENT PANORAMAS to be witnessed on earth ..." was no longer to be restricted to men of wealth such as the Goodh ues and Rodewalds , but would now become available to "the poor mechanic, the weary clerk and jaded professional man ... " 280 Lafayette was one of the "two splendid dwellings" already constructed for this development . It is in fact a reduced and more modest version of 172 Prospect. Of great interest , however, is its recessed or stepped back plan with the bay-like pro­ jection set at the rear. The commodious porch remains; shown in the 1872 real estate brochure drawing of this house is a two level porch encircling the rear portion.

Decorative detailing abounds. Note the slate fish-scale shingles in contrasting colors, emphatic arches above dormers and ample scrollwork. In 1875, a mortgage on this property was acquired by Elizabeth Alice Austen (grandmother of photographer Alice Austen) in order to provide an investment property for her heirs, a mortgage held by the Austen estate through the 19th century. Who the actual occupants of the house were at that time has not yet been determined.

15

NEW BRIGHTON 26. 172 Prospect Avenue " .. .containing 12 rooms, villa style , mode rn finis h, ma rble mantels, gas, fu r­ nace, hot and cold wa te r, bill iard room , library..."

Thus was thi s Second Empire house descri bed in H. Tracy Arn old 's 1872 rea l esta te brochures . Alth ou gh so me of the de tai ling repeats forms used for 280 Lafayet te (#25 on tour ). thi s clea r ly is th e gra nder hou se. Of interest are th e var ia­ tion s in exterior orna me n ta tion w hic h d if­ fere n tiate thi s house fro m 280 Lafayett e; note , for example, th e elabo rate wi ndow surro unds which terminat e at the peak in a circ ular form , and th e di ffer ent shingle patt erns used her e . Missin g today is th e front porti on of the porch whi ch a ppears in the 1872 drawing. Arnold 's exp ecta tions of immed iat e and large-scale development appear to hav e bee n somewha t pr emat ure and other th an th ese tw o " de mo ns tratio n mod els," no add itiona l hou ses in thi s neigh borh ood ap pea r to have bee n bu ilt by him . His landholdings were acq uired by others an d m ore ex te nsive devel opment her e was not to occur until the mid 1880s .

27. 158 Prospect Avenue Ano the r attract ive Shin gle Sty le hou se built by th e ea rly 1890s , it was ow ne d by W.H . Botsfort. It sits co mfortab ly on the hillside amid st lar ge trees . The mos t distin gui sh ing featu re is the con ica l roof which swe eps down to form the front entry porch. No te th e adjoi ni ng windo ws wi th sma ll panes on th e side s and in fro n t in th e attic . Espe ciall y int ere stin g is th e sligh t overhang in th e front between th e first and second floors whi ch is acce n ted by th e sa me saw-too thed shingles used at 232 Prosp ect Avenue (#21 on th e tou r).

28 . P..S. 40, corner Henderson and Lafayette Avenues

P.S. 40, de signed by Board of Edu cati on arc hitect William H. Gompert (also an archi tect for Building 1 of th~Pu bli c Health Serv ice Hospital , now Bayl ey -Set on, see # 35 of Clifto n Walk ing Tou r). wa s built in 16

1925-26 at a cos t of $62 ,500 . A re la tive ly simple buil ding, its red brick walls are acce nted by limestone trim . Note the att en­ tio n to classica l det ails suc h as th e balustrad e bu ilt in at roof level.

29 . Gateposts, H enderson Av enue opposite Grace Court These two brick gate posts wi th th ei r terra cotta trim are all that rema in of the He nr y Kunha rdt pr operty , w hic h took up the western half of this block except for the corner at Hen derson and Clin ton Avenues.

Th e hou se, ano ther large masonry str uc ­ tu re , was ca lled " Clairwood " on an 1898 map . Kunhardt an d hi s br other George were Manhattan merchants at 45 Exchange Place according to an 1859 dir ect ory . J.E. Kunhardt was one of th e founders of th e Unit arian Ch u rc h (see #10 on tour). Th eir large famil y m au soleum , design ed by Carre re and Hast ings, is in th e Mora vian Cem etery in Don gan Hills, Stat en Island .

30. 109 Henderson Avenue One of eight large wooden suburban hou ses b uilt on thi s side of Henderson Avenue by th e early 1890s and ow ned by Nic ho las Mu ller. Although all are either in th e Qu een Anne or s hingle styl es and have th e same gene ral rectangular plan, all are qu ite different. This very att ra ctive shi ngle house boasts a wealth of woodwork detail w hich is hi ghli ght ed by th e red and yellow paint sc heme . All gab le ends are side d w ith alte rna ting ro und and square edge d shingles for a rich textural effect. In front , not e th e flar ed eaves of the front gable and how the wall edges aro u nd th e attic window are ro u nded inward - a sm ooth flow of surfaces.

31. 133 Henderson Avenue Alth ou gh covered wi th mod ern siding, many of th e or iginal fea tures of th is most un usual hou se can still be seen. A basic rectangle in plan , the s urface of this house is broken up in a va riet y of ways - with gab les, cut o ff co rne rs on th e first floo r front , wood de ta iling, and th e three story tow er w h ich crea tes an el ement of

suspense. The tower's two heavy upp er stories (note the rounded edges of the top floor) are supported underneath by nothing more than an open porch edged with delicate turned trim around the lop . How does the tower stand up we wonder? The question is rather humorously answered by the four slender porch posts. All th eir power seems to be concentrated in the two exaggerated bulbous turnings of each post.

Look too at the side facing Grace Court with its gambrel-shaped roof and interest­ ing third floor window treatment and woodwork.

33. Corner of Henderson and Clinton Avenue As you stand on the corner of Hender­ son and Clinton Avenues, take a look down Henderson toward the iron fence marking the back of Sailor's Snug Harbor. Originally the Harbor grounds extended as far back as Forest Avenue . Henderson was cut through here by the 1880s, thus separating the Snug Harbor cemetery off on th e left from the main part of the grounds. In the 1930s, this back piece to th e left of Hend er­ son was sold off and became the suburban development of Randall Manor .

32. 139 Henderson Avenue Another Preservation League of Staten Island 1983 restoration award winner, this house sports a wealth of simple woodwork detailing which, highlighted by the color scheme, creates a rich textural surface. The front gable features the same alternating round and square edged shingle pattern as found at 109 Henderson (#30 on tour] .

END OF TOUR If you're traveling by public transporta­ tion back to the Ferry , the S-102 bus stops at the southwest corner of Henderson and Clinton Avenues in front of St. Peter's School.

MAP.!PROPERTY .tHEW BRIGHTON. :"1.\11;" ''''1.\\11.\ f.'\ )lIK ~ .

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Illustrated map of property in New Brighton from 1872 real estate auction notice, H. Tracy Arnold and Company, manager, SIRS.

17

STAPLETON AND CLIFTON WALKING TOUR

~ .... o

SIR T

UPPER

NEW

BAY

18

YO R K

1. Site of Stapleton Dock,

foot of Dock Street

2. Edgewat er Hall,

691 Bay Street

3. 704 Bay Street 4. Boardman-Mitchell House

710 Bay Street

5. Bayley-Seton Hospital, Building 10 (originally Physician's House of Seaman's Retreat), Bay Street 6. Building 7 (Main Hospital Building of Seaman's Retreat) , Bay Street 7. Clifton waterfront, site of

Vanderbilt 's Ferry Landing,

Bay Street at foot of

Norwood Avenue

8. Norwood Avenue .

9. 10 Norwood Avenue 10. 17 Norwood Avenue 11. 20-24 Norwood Avenue 12. 856 and 854 Bay Street 13. Townsend Avenue 14. 26 Townsend Avenue 15. The Presbyterian "Lecture Room, " later Errington School, 32 Townsend Avenue

16. 50 Townsend Avenue 17. 61 Townsend Avenue 18. 69, 73, and 73 Townsend Avenue 19. 78 Townsend Avenue 20. 93 Townsend Avenue 21. 104 Townsend Avenue 22. 105 Townsend Avenue 23. 120 Townsend Avenue 24. 128 Townsend Avenue 25. 129 Townsend Avenue 26. 133 Townsend Avenu e 27. Corner of Townsend and Tompkins Avenues 28. 251 Tompkins Avenue 29. 147 Norwood Avenue 30. 136 Norwood Avenue 31. a , b, c. 120 Norwood, 94 Norwood , 242 Talbot Place 32. a, b , c, d. 112 Norwood, 241 Talbot Place, 84 Norwood, 90 Vanderbilt 33. 110-144 Vanderbilt Avenue 34. 70 Vanderbilt Avenue 35. Bayley-Seton Hospital , Building 1, Vanderbilt Avenue

19

STAPLETON AND CLIFTON WALKING TOUR

If you 're coming by publ ic transportation from the State n Island Ferry Terminal, the bes t way to reach the starting po int of this tour is to take the S-2 bus along Bay Stree t and get off at th e Broad Stree t sto p just beyond Tap pen Park. Walk up one short bloc k to Doc k Street.

Thi s tou r , whi ch sta rts at the site of th e old Stap leto n Ferry Lan di ng, takes a look at several very differen t aspec ts of State n Island 's history. Once this entire are a along the waterfront consis ted of widely scatter­ ed farms . Development here began in 1831 with the ope ning of th e Seama ns' Ret reat on 36 acres of th e Corn elius Co rson farm .

Crea ted by an ac t of th e New York State legislature, it was the first hosp ita l in New York City devoted solely to the health ca re of seamen and was the firs t of two major 19th ce ntury ins tit utio ns for seamen located on Staten Island , the other being Sailors' Snug Ha rbor which opened in 1833 (see the New Brighton Walkin g Tou r for mo re ]. Within a few years the Ret reat would see growing up to th e west of it th e village of Stapleton and to th e east th e fashionab le su bu rb of Clifto n .

Th e or igins of Sta pleton dat e to 1833 w hen William J. Sta ples and Minthorne Tompkins, so n of th e New York governor and lat er U.S. Vice President Dan iel D .

Tompki ns who foun ded Tompkinsville,

bough t a large par cel of lan d for de velop­ ment from Co rn elius Vander bilt. By 1836, th ey had laid out the village s treets and building lots. Clifton da tes to 1836 when a gro up of New Yor k City b usi n essmen bo ug ht fa rm land here and form ed th e Sta ten Island Associa tion. In 1838, th ey published an elabora te b roch ur e to pro­ mote their ho ldings of ov er 800 acr es of lan d for subu rba n development. Drawn by Sta ten Islan d 's de lightful lan d scape an d pa no ram ic vistas, New York City mer­ chan ts began a rriving h ere in la rge nu mbers in th e 1840s to build th eir pic­ tur esque villas an d co ttages . Quite unli ke Stap leton, m ost buil d ing lots in Clift on (exce pt for th ose direc tly on th e wa ter) were fairly large , thus prese rv ing its rural environme nt. Alon g w ith New Brighton, beg un in 1834, Clifton wa s am ong the very firs t of New York City 's romantic sub urbs.

O n th is tou r , yo u 'll d iscover not on ly a bit about Sta pleton but also th e Seaman's Retreat. In Clifton, you 'll see a few of th e rare survivors from Clifton 's ea rly years, ma ny mo re houses bu ilt in lat er stages of sub urban developmen t, and w ill dis cover not only a place that severa l generat ions of Va nder bilts he lped to mold bu t also a nei ghb orh ood fam ilia r to th e creator of Cen tral and Prospect Parks - Frede rick La w Olm st ed.

View {rom the Bay, c. 1860. H. Knecht, lithographer , SIlAS.

20

This guide commen ts' on buildings in­ dicated on the map , but many not me ntion­ ed also de serve an appreciative glance.

1. Site of Stapleton Dock, foot of Dock Street One of thi s area 's earli est ferri es -Cole's - wa s establish ed during the Revolution at the or der of the British wh o wanted direct access to Manhatt an from Sta te n Islan d , wh ich th ey occ upie d from 1776 to 1783. A later dock appears at the foot of thi s stree t in an ea rly 1830s real estate broch ure for th is ar ea . To on e side wa s a hotel. The ferry landing was lat er moved to th e mouth of th e Stapl et on cana l (now Canal Stree t). In 1884, th e Stat en Island Railro ad line was extended from Clifton to Tompkin s ville , and two yea rs lat er to St. George. Part of the line ran on trestl es above th e wat er , until c. 1900 when th e land was filled in, and as you can se e h er e com plet ely cut off Do ck Stree t an d access to the sho reline . Running along Bay Str eet by 1874 wa s a hor secar lin e .

2. Edgewater Hall, 691 Bay Street Built c . 1876, this lar ge three sto ry red brick building is one of the handsomest co mme rc ia l st ruc ture s in Staplet on .

Features to note include th e fancy w indow lintels , and th e h eavy p ressed metal tri m above th e first floor storefront wind ows and at the corn ice . By th e 1880 s, it hou sed a bank on the fir st floor , a lecture room on the second, and on the th ird the Maso nic Hall, wh ich later rem oved to its own buildi ng furthe r down Bay Stre et (now th e Stapleton Post Offic e, designed by Edw ard A. Sargent) . Today Edgew ater Hall is one of the landmark buildings along Stapleton 's " Antique Row ."

3. 704 Bay Street This house, tw o stories atop a full ba se­ me nt, and its neighbors to th e right ar e amon g th e oldest buildings left in Stapleton and could date fro m as early as the 1830s.

Toda y th ey sta nd vast ly altered by the applica tion of mo d ern sidin g, but if you look closely in th e small gap between 704 Bay and its neigh bor you 'll see the rem ains

Edgew ater Hall, SI HS.

of old wooden clapboards. Note too the tw o dormer window s, hallmarks of many sim ple hou ses of this period , and th e old chi m ney to the left, its br icks now covered with cement. Mod est village hou ses, th ey prov ide an effec tive con trast to th e next house on your tour, the D r. Jam es Board­ man House, and ot h ers of the fashi onable s uburb of Clift on built by th e well-to-do .

4. Boardman-Mitchell House, 710 Bay Street This h andsome Italianate villa , a New York City Landmark, was built in 1848 for Dr. Jam es R. Boardman , resident ph ysi cian at the Seaman's Retreat (next stop on tour) from 1836 to 1844 and h ospital dir ect or from 1849 to 1854. Running from the front of the hou se down to the narrow road run­ ning along the shore was a s weep ing lawn .

Th e blu est one retain ing wa ll you see today was built by the co unty around 1900 when Bay Str eet wa s widen ed . Becau se of thi s steep slope, access was gai ned th rou gh Brownell Street in the rear. The hou se was so ld in 1894 to Cap ta in Elvin E. Mit chell , 21

STAPLETON AND CLIFTON

a Sandy Hook pilot most famous for hav­ ing saved the lives of all 176 passengers aboard the sinking Cunard Liner 5.S. Oregon, which was rammed by a coal sloop in Long Island Sound in the morning of March 14, 1886. Mitchell received a gold medal from the British government and award money from the Cunard Lines, with which he bought this house. One of his daughters, winner of a New York beauty contest in 1903, lived here until her death in 1966. It was she who added the shingle siding.

One of the few relatively unchanged ltalianate houses on Staten Island, it features many hallmarks of the style ­ such as the cube shape, and low roof with its wide overhanging eaves supported by bold curving brackets. Note too the en ­ trance porch and turned balustrades, hand­ some window treatment, small horizontal sash lighting the attic level, and the two arched windows under the central pedi­ ment. Up here Captain Mitchell had a "look-out" with a telescope and in a log recorded the names of ships he saw pass­ ing in the Harbor.

5. Bayley-Seton Hospital, Building 10 (originally Physician's House of Seaman's Retreat), Bay Street Behind this fence lie the grounds of the old Seaman's Retreat, founded in 1831.

Created by an act of the New York State Legislature in response to long-pressed demands for improved health care for seamen in this, one of the nation's largest ports, the Seaman's Retreat was the first hospital in New York devoted solely to their care. It was operated as a state institu­ tion until 1882 when the taxation which supported it was revoked and the proper­ ty was sold to the Marine Society. The following year it was leased by the federal government and re-opened as a U.S. Marine Hospital, this port's first. Earlier, the care authorized under the Act of 1798 which established the federal marine hospital system had been provided by a number of different hospitals in the metropolitan area including the Seaman's 22

Retreat after 1871. After many requests by the Surgeon General, the Retreat was final­ ly purchased by the federal government in 1902. It was re-titled the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in 1951 , and was the largest in the Service until the Public Health hospital system was terminated by the Reagan Administration in 1981, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Seaman's Retreat. During those 150 years, this hospital not only provided care for thousands upon thousands of seamen and other beneficiaries, but also had been recognized as an important center for medical research. The Hygienic Laboratory, later to become the National Institutes of Health , was established here in 1887. Here too was first discovered the effectiveness of penicillin in the treatment of venereal disease. The hospital is now owned by the Sisters of Charity. It has been renamed Bayley-Seton Hospital after Elizabeth Seton, founder of the Sisters of Charity (th e first American religious socie­ ty) and the first native born American to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church, and her father Dr. Richard Bayley, the first Health Officer of the Port of New York. He died while car ing for persons with contagious diseases who, entering New York Harbor, were detained at the Tompkinsville Quarantine Station, opened in 1799.

Members of this family are buried in the St. Andrew's Church cemetery in Richmondtown.

Building 10, the Chief Physician's House , was built in 1842 by the Staten Island Granite Company from rock quarried in Graniteville. The use of this gray stone (called diabase or trap rock ), the sober simplicity and the Greek Revival style in­ dicate that this house was intended to har­ monize with the main hospital building, the next one on your tour. Note the prominent chimneys and handsome main door reach­ ed originally by a steep flight of stairs. The severe exterior conceals a lavish and spacious interior, one of the best preserv­ ed and richest Greek Revival interior spaces remaining on Staten Island.

6. Building 7 (Main Hospital Building of Seaman's Retreat), Bay Street When the Seaman 's Retreat opened in 1831, it occupied the converted Cornelius Corson farmhouse which stood near what is now the corner of Bay Street and Vander­ bilt Aven ue. The next year a large three story hospital building with long porches extending across the front and rear of each floor (to expose patients to abundant fresh air) was built quite a distance back from the road. Sited closer to the water, Building 7 was begun one year later. The center block and wings of this handsome Greek Revival building were built from 1834 to 1837, and the end pavilions from 1847 to 1853. Superintendent of building was Abraham P. Maybie . Alterations in 1911-12 added another story to the wings and abundant copper ornament, but they remain in harmony with the original Greek Revival detailing. This served as the main hospital building until 1933 when the new building facing Vanderbilt Avenue (the last stop on your tour) was opened. The Hygienic Laboratory and Venereal Disease Research Laboratory were both located here.

7. Clifton waterfront, site of Vanderbilt's Ferry Landing, Bay Street at foot of Norwood Avenue Th e waterfront once played a very im­ portant role in suburban Clifton, the scenic view of the Narrow!' and harbor attracting many to build their homes here, but as you can see today this view is completely block­ ed by the raised railroad tracks. In back of the Clifton train station was the site of Vanderbilt's Ferry Landing. Cornelius Vanderbilt was 16 years old in 1810 when he began a boat service to Manhattan from Staten Island. In 1828, the "Commodore" acquired a controlling interest in the main East Shore ferry company which had been established by Daniel D . Tompkins . This was just the first in a line of fortune mak­ ing successes for Vanderbilt, who was born on Staten Island and grew up in a farm­ house in Stapleton on Bay Street where the Paramount Theater now stands. This ferry landing in Clifton was a great attraction for businessmen moving here because it pro­ vided easy access to Manhattan. It gained even greater importance in 1860 when the Staten Island Railroad was established and this became the northern terminus for the

View of Seamen 's Retreat from 1880 landfill , Cornelius Corson farm at far left, SIHS.

23

STAPLETON AND CLIFTON

line . Vanderbilt's Lan di ng was closed dow n after th e train lin e was exte nde d to St. Geo rge in 1886 and all Manha ttan­ bo und ferries along th e Nor th and East sho res were consolida ted at tha t po int.

None-the -less , the area around the train sta tion con tinued to thr ive as a com mer­ cial district. Amo ng businesses located here in the late 1800s were several saloons , a large coa l ya rd, an d a livery stab le.

8. Norwood Avenue Accor ding to the 1870 ce ns us , livin g so mew here on this stree t (then called Amos Stre et, a sho rt th oro ughfa re n ot ex tendi ng bey ond tod ay' s Err in gton Place) was Fred erick L. Olmst ed , age 48, ar ­ chitec t, born in Connecticut. Olmsted had pr eviously lived on Staten Island in the late 1840s an d 1850s in th e Poillon -Ak er ly­ Olms ted Hou se on Hylan Boulevard in Elti ngville. Whil e th er e he describ ed Clif­ ton in a lett er to a friend as a "villa village ."

His later home in Clifto n, no doubt rent ed , ha s not ye t been ide n tified . The co nve­ nience of the fer ry landi ng he re and th e acc ess it provided to Brooklyn where he was then wo rki ng on his Prospect Pa rk plan help to exp lain his residence here.

9. 10 Norwood Avenue This " neat" little brick ho use w ith rub­ ble grani te foundation fea tures decorat ive arc hed brick window lintels and a mansard roof. An 1874 ma p shows a carpente r's s hop attac hed to th e righ t sid e.

10. 17 Norwood Avenue

The ge neral proportion s and sma ll w indo ws of thi s little al um in um-sided h ou se with gable end facin g th e stre et su ggest a building of fairl y ea rly dat e . An amp le yard and nice row of trees ha ve p reser ved a ple asant se tt ing in w ha t was a densely set tled commercial and manu­ factu ring district.

11. 20-24 Norwood Av enue

An earlier building on this site (the rig ht hand side of the str ucture) ap pears to have been remodelled and extended in 1906 by Delano and Aldric h, architects of t he Sta ten 24

Island Sav ings Bank in Stap leto n, for use as th e Err ington Mech anical Laborat or y.

Look at th e inse t sign near th e top of the building. It was owned by Willia m Erring­ ton , a m ech an ical engineer, w ho had 30 employees in th e early 1900s. The arched windows c rea te a pleasing rh yth m across th e face of the build ing . Harrie t Erri ngton, the sister of William 's stepfather Benjam in, accompan ied th e Frederick Law Ol ms ted fami ly wes twa rd to Ca lifornia in 1864, w he re sh e spen t two years as th eir gove rness a nd tut or. See also 32 Townse nd Ave nue, # 10 on yo ur tour , for more on the Err ingtons .

12 . 856 and 854 Bay Street Two mid -19th ce n tur y remnants of th e once thri ving littl e bu sin ess district aro und the ferr y landing. Alth ou gh the gro und floors and tops of these two buildings have been altered, th e handsome Ita lian at e cas t iron window lint el s upstai rs have s urviv­ ed . Note also what appears to be th e original segmentally arched gro un d floo r openings s till visible at 854 Bay Street. An 1874 map shows that the building to the right of 854 Bay was a liquor s tore and th at 856 Bay was then a sa loon .

13. Townsend Avenue In the 1840s , Townsend Ave nue was a private road leading up from the wa terfront through a narrow strip of land acq uire d in the 1830s by James W ., Cha rles E., and William H . Tow nsend . At the head of th is street on land now ly ing on th e opposite side of Tompkins Avenue w as built the Gothic Revival " Tow nsend Castl e" pic­ tured her e . Close r to th e water were two m or e houses, thus creating a Town send Family enclave. By 1850 howe ver , the lan d on both sides of th e stree t had been di vid­ ed int o build ing lot s fo r new sub ur ban re siden ces . Man y of th ese lots we re soon purchased and constr uc tion proceed ed rapidly . By 1859 seventeen hom es and a Presbyterian Church had been bu ilt , and many mo re hou ses were erect ed her e in another buildin g phase toward the end of the 19th cent ury . In the early 1900s , the

Townsend Castle, 1889, SllAS

street was th e ho me of a n umber of doc ­ tors wor king at the hosp ital and publish er s.

Neighbor hood hor ses were gra zed in th e open are a lo your left.

Today Town send Avenu e displa ys a wea lth of Go thic Revival , Qu een Ann e, an d Colon ial Revival houses. Th e ea rly app ea rance of som e of the build ings has been obscured by m od e rn sid ings, bu t app ropriate care could retu rn To wnsend Avenu e to its form e r bea uty. Some (but not all) of the ho use s of inte res t on th is st re et include: 14 . 26 Townsend Ave n u e The dat e of this de ligh tful Q uee n Anne house - 1886 - is co ntained in the em ­ bossed de cora tive pa ne l on th e left flank of the buil din g. O bserve th e int eresting w indow arrange ments o n th e right side , the decorat ive use of sm all wi ndow pa nes, the bulbous porc h co lum ns a nd th e Du tch door. Man y fea tures of thi s hou se suggest th e wo r k of Edward A. Sargent, the English-b orn State n Island res ide nt w ho designed P.S. 15 on St. Paul's Aven ue an d

man y othe r suburban homes. Th is ho u se wa s built fo r Cap ta in Jam es W. Braist ed , a ferry boat ca pta in and lat er Superi nte n­ dent of th e West Sh ore Railroad Ferry. In 1854 he accompanied Corne lius Vanderhilt o n a round -the -w orl d voyage. His funeral in 1886 wa s atte nde d hy m any , including th e Com mo dore himse lf.

15. ThePresbyterian "Lecture Room," later Errington School, 32 Townsend Avenue This building, its origina l appeara nce vastly altered , has had a long and interest ­ ing history . Althoug h the organizer s of this c hur ch [ma ny of th e m fro m t he Tow nsend Avenu e co m m un ity ] we re Dutc h Reform­ ed , th is building w as open ed in 1856 as a Presbyterian " Lec t ur e Room " as a m or e con ven ien t locati on for Clifton residents than the church in Sta pleton . Origina lly a m od est o ne story bu ilding w ith gable roo f, it rece ived a stee ple in 186 1. It wa s soo n o utgrow n, an d a ne w chur ch was planned .

But be fore construc tio n began , m em be rs

25

STAPLETON AND CLIFTON

decided to re unite with th e Stapleton con足 gregation and in 1868 t h e Firs t Presbyter ian Ch urch of Staple ton was esta blished .

This building was then sold to Benja min Erri ngton , an exporter with bus iness on Chambers Stree t in Manhattan . He was the step-father of William , fou nder of the Erri ngton Laboratory (see #7 on tour, 20-24 Norwood Avenue). An 1859 map shows the Errington ho use on the spot now occupied by 3 1 Townsend Avenue, a later house also apparently owned by this fami足 ly. It was Benjamin's sister Harr iet who went with th e Fred erick Law Olmsted fami ly to Ca liforn ia in 1864 as their governess an d tu tor. Thi s former churc h la te r became Miss Errington 's school.

16 . 50 Townsend Avenue

Th e Colonia l Revival style is mixed with a litt le Quee n Anne in an int eresting composition of columns , dormers and bays. The Ionic porch columns fea ture a delica te egg and dart mo tif. Pronounced

den til moldings are placed above the win足 dows and below the eaves. Bea utiful stain足 ed glass and slender tracery fill the windows on the left side of th e ho use .

17 . 61 Townsend Ave n u e

Thi s large gab led Go thic Revival hou se with its tall , elongated proportions boasts a tower at th e rear. The deep eaves an d hood mo ldings around the top of the wi ndows are characteristic features of th is style, which was considered partic ula rly appropriate for villas buil t in romantic suburbs because it complemented and fit in to th e p ic turesq ue land scap e so we ll.

This style, introd uced on Staten Island in the late 1830s, persisted into the 1850s. By the late 1880s, th is ho use was owned by Reuben Lord , a coa l an d lumber dealer near th e Ferr y Landing on Bay Street.

18. 69, 7 3 , a n d 77 Townsend Avenue

Note the very steep gab le roo fs of the att ic do rmers in these th ree Go thic Revival houses, all of which h ave been a ltered from

~---r-----:::;7,-----------""

I :.:.

"The Presbyterian Lecture Room," later Errington School, 32 Town send Av enue, courtesy First Presbyterian Church, Staten Island.

26

.

th eir original appearance. 69 Townsend still has its original pointed attic dorm er wind ow.

19. 78 Townsend Avenue The ga ble ornament on the right hand side of this hous e suggests that it once had a gre at deal in co mmo n with 93 and 120 Town send Avenue, just ahead on yo ur tour. Note the nice woodwork in th e rail­ ing topping the first floor ha y window , and on the left (an addition built after 1887) th e corn er tow er with its domed top . This wa s the home of th e Cla rk famil y. James H. Clark, wh o d ied in 1896 at age 8 1, was the chief clerk of th e Cu stoms House for 35 yea rs, and a Townsend Avenue resid ent for 36 yea rs. A 1907 map sho ws his son, James Jr. , living here .

20. 93 Townsend Avenue A robust versi on of th e Gothi c Revival styl e , thi s hou se features d ecorative do or and window surr ounds w ith " ea rs" at top and bottom , porch posts w ith d entil orna ­ ment , decorati ve bar geb oard in the ga ble, and attracti ve paired brack et s under th e eaves. No te how the double sash w indow s hav e been incised to simulate casements.

An ampl e lo t provides pl easant su r­ roundings.

2 1. 104 Townsend Avenue This imp osing Colonial Revival style clapboa rd and shingl e residen ce built in th e 1890s s ta nds on th e site of one of th e old Townsend houses. Note th e impressive gambrel roo f acc ent ed by chi m ney s with terra co tta trim and c him ney pots . Th e third floor boasts Pallad ian wind ow s on th e sides an d in front. Th e handsom e por ch fea tur es Ioni c co lum ns and decorativ e sw ags . Occupied in 1898 by W.H . C lark, a Manhattan broker , it was lat er acquired

by L.S. Town send .

22. 105 Townsend Avenue This Goth ic Reviv al house appears to be one of th e origina l Tow ns end resid en ces built in th e ea rly 18405. It was lat e r ac­ qu ired by New York City attorn ey Willi am Anth on , and was one of sev eral rental cott ages in Clifton o wned by him. Signi fi­ ca nt fea tures incl ude the ste e p ga ble roof,

105 Town send Av enu e, c. 1910 , W. J. Grim ­ shaw. photograph er, SIH5.

la rge dormer s , lab el mo lding aro und th e main door , heft y porch columns, wid e por ch , a nd cent e r chim ney .

23. 120 Townsend Avenue This int eresting double house is a ver y robust, sturdy ver sion of th e Gothic Reviva l st yle . It has man y features in co m m o n wi th 9 3 Town send Avenue alth ough is different in plan . Both were pr obably d esign ed by th e same ar chitect.

The sa me door and wind ow surrounds, porch colum ns w ith dentils and gable ornament reappear her e .

24. 128 Townsend Aven ue This a tt ract ive Queen Anne hou se pr o­ babl y was built in th e 1890 s. Although sim pler in sha pe a nd com po sitio n of volumes than 129 and 133 Townsend [next on tour) , th e four different shingle types use d cr eate a highly ornam ental surface .

25 . 129 Townsend Avenue Also built in th e 18905, th is house has a wonde rful op en por ch above the oriel win­ do w on th e left hand side . No te th e ty pical Qu een Ann e odd patterning effec t of the wi ndow arran gement. Even th e basement win dow has small decorative pan es . Thi s house , ow ne d by law yer Alexander S. Lyman , a nd 133 To wn send were built on the site of ea rlie r bu ildings.

26. 13 3 Townsend Avenue Another lar ge and attractive Queen Anne hou se with a low er topped by a de cor ativ e m etal finial , dorm ers , elaborate w indow sas h , a nd a sp acious wrap-around por ch .

Note th e da te - 1886 - on th e stone loca ted ben ea th th e right sid e o riel window. ?7

STAPLETON AND CLIFTON

27. Corner of Townsend and Tompkins Avenues Across the street from this point was the site of the "Townsend Castle," an im­ pressive Gothic Revival residence boasting two tower-like pavilions with crenellated tops and spacious landscaped grounds. As you stand here look to your left down Tom­ pkins Avenue. Just beyond the train tracks to the left was the site of Staten Island's first major brewery , Bachmann's Clifton Brewery, founded in 1851. In 1880, they had 170 employees but a severe fire the next year reduced the work force to 100 by 1882. Another fire in 1918 gutted the plant completely. Rebuilt, it served as a warehouse during Prohibition. The large empty building you see by the tracks on the right side of the street is the old Louis Dejonge Paper Company, manufacturer of fancy papers and also importers of fine leathers. Established in 1842, the firm came to Staten Island in 1846 and moved here from their old plant on Victory Boulevard in 1918, In that year they had 220 to 250 employees.

28.251 Tompkins Avenue This charming Gothic Revival cottage was built around 1850 for William Anthon, New York City attorney who also owned 147 Norwood (next on the tour] and 105 Townsend Avenue, all probably rental cottages. Chimney pots, deep eaves, decorative porch posts, and many gables are among its attractive features . In the 1880s , it was owned by C.A. Clegg, a real estate and advertising agent in Manhattan, who also owned a number of other proper­ ties in Clifton.

Bachmann's Clifton Brewery, c. 1887, SIHS. ?R

29. 147 Norwood Avenue Another lovely Gothic Revival house of the same date owned by Anthon . Be sure to look at the facade fronting on Tompkins Avenue . Peaked gables , pointed windows and shutters to match, a porch running the length of the facade, and. center chimney make this house a miniature version of the Gothic villas designed for a number of Staten Island patrons by Alexander Jackson Davis, a highly influential architect of the period , 30. 136 Norwood Avenue Although this house has been altered, we can appropriate it as one of the few sur­ vivors from Clifton's early years. Features such as the peaked gables, tiny windows, paired chimneys, and oriel window with diamond panes on the right hand side of the house are hallmarks of the Gothic Revival style.

31. a.b,c, 94 Norwood, 242 Talbot Place These three are just a few of the similar. suourban residences built for George W. Vanderbilt, grandson of Cornelius Vander­ bilt, around Talbot Pla ce (named after George 's son-in-law) . The architect is not known, but these houses do have several features in common with the row of Vanderbilt Avenue houses coming up on the tour (also built for George Vanderbilt) designed by Carrere and Hastings, Com­ pare these three houses and see how altera­ tions have been made over the years. 242 Talbot Place still has its drip pendants ornamenting the porch', 32. a.b.c.d. 112 Norwood, 241 Talbot Place, 84 Norwood, 90 Vanderbilt Another group of similar suburban houses built for George Vanderbilt. 90 Vanderbilt Avenue is particularly well preserved. The half timbered gable and deep eaves used here continue the pic­ turesque tradition established in Clifton in the 1840s. Note the handsome front doors, exaggerated brackets, steep roof, stout chimneys, twelve over one windows , and prominent bays.

33. 110-144 Vanderbilt Avenue The eight mirror imag e houses in thi s row w ere de signed by Carrer e and Hastings for Geor ge Vanderbilt in 1900.

Best known for th eir de sign of th e main New York Public Library at 42nd Street in Manhattan, this firm also d esigned Stat en Island 's Borough Hall, the Courthouse next door, the St. George, Tottenville, Port Rich­ mond , and Stapleton Public Libra ries , ano seve ral othe r Island residences. Carrere , a resident of Stat en Island, once sta ted that he intended these Vanderbilt houses to serv e as a counter-d emonstration to "these suburban sections that spring int o being in a single night - mere groups of ar chitec­ tural specimens, some good and som e bad and none having any artistic relation with any othe r or the whole." Of these eight, 120 Vanderbilt ha s undergone minimal alt erati on . A tall , steeply pitched hip roof with flarin g eaves is combined with gabl­ ed dormers, a gabl e extending over th e facad e porch , and two massive chim neys to create a dynamic composition. Th e stur­ dy paired po rch piers , eave bra ckets , and X-pa tte rned balustrades all pr oclaim " wood" and reit erate the half tim bering used abo ve. The lar ge window area on th e side of th e house illuminates a monumen ­ tal staircase that rises maje stically thr ough three st ories.

As you walk back down Vanderbilt Avenu e to #340n the tour, dart back in on Talbot Place for a minute to take a look at th e ser vice road in back of these houses and the attractive back porches covered by gabled roofs .

34. 70 Vanderbilt Avenue A late Gr eek Revival style house built betw een 1874 and 1887 on land once own­ ed by Corn elius Vand erbilt and then by his son William H . Note the small pediment shape used as a d ecorative device within th e larger pedimented gabl e.

35 . Bayley-Seton Hospital, Building 1, Vanderbilt Avenue Even though thi s was the lar gest U.S. Marine Hospital in terms of annual admis­ sions, major expansion of th e hospital plant did not occu r until 1933. Building 1 was

I'

• • • ; :.

U

. ) .~ . ,

, I ' •• " 11 1 ••• ••

U

'.1 1

Main Building, New U.S. Marin e Hospital, Stapleton, Weitzman 's Photo Shop, photographer, SIlA S.

the major compone nt of th e large construc­ tion program that included a new nurses' residence, officers' quarters on Vanderbilt Avenue, and power plant and staff residences to the rear of the property. All ar e stylistically related. Building 1 was con structed between 1933 and 1935. The architects w er e James A. Wetmore, Ken­ neth Murchison, William Gompert and Louis A. Simon. Art Deco ornament employing geom etric and foliate motifs adorn s the roofline and main entrance of eac h of th ese buildings. Similar decoration appears in th e handsome lob by area of Building 1. Vertical design elem ents ar e emphasized . This was the first imple­ mented proj ect of the Depressi on -born National Recovery Administration, and the ground-b reaking ceremo nies were attend­ ed by 500 Islanders seeking employment.

The pyramidal tow er ab ove the main door made thi s Staten Island's tall est building in 1935.

END OF TOUR If you're tra veling by public transporta­ tion back to th e Ferry , either continue down Vanderbilt Avenue back to Bay Street to catch th e train or 5-2 bus (the stop is on th e water side of the street] , or go back up Vand erbilt to th e corner of Tom­ pkins Avenue. Stopping here in front of the bank are th e 5-103, S-l04, and 5-109 buses going to th e Ferr y.

PORT RICHMOND WALKING TOUR

KILL VAN

KULL

l. The Port Richmond waterfront, intersection of Richmond Avenue and Richmond Terrace 2. 2047 Richmond Terrace 3. Site of Old Port Richmond

Hotel

4. Griffith Block,

Richmond Avenue and

Richmond Terrace

5. 2065 Richmond Terrace 6. Jewett stable,

Richmond Terrace

7. Empire Theatre,

now Farrell Lumber,

Richmond Terrace opposite

the Jewett.

8. 26 Richmond Avenue 9. Richmond Avenue 10. The Reformed Church and Cemetery, 54 Richmond Avenue 11, 12. Richmond Avenue, corner of Ann Street 13. 71 Park Avenue 14. 93 Park Avenue 15. 49-51 Ann Street, 54-76 Heberton Avenue 16. 121 Heberton Avenue

17. New York Public Library: Port Richmond Branch, 75 Bennett Avenue 18. 103 Park Avenue 19. 120 Park Avenue 20. Park Baptist Church, 130 Park Avenue 2l. Union Free School, later P.S. 20 22. 155 Heberton Avenue 23 ,24. 183 and 184 Heberton Avenue 25. 193 Heberton Avenue 26. 198 I-\,eberton Avenue 27. Grace M.E. Church 足 Faith Methodist Church, 221 Heberton Avenue 28. 233 Heberton Avenue 29. 253 Heberton Avenue 30. 252 Heberton Avenue 3l. 272 Heberton Avenue 32. 273 Heberton Avenue 33. 290 Heberton Avenue 34. 320 Heberton Avenue 35 . 325 Heberton Avenue 36. 983-985 Post Avenue 37. Temple Emanu-el, 984 Post Avenue

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PORT RICHMOND WALKING TOUR

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If you 're traveling by bus from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal , take th e S-l (Rich ­ mo nd Terrace) and get off at th e Park Avenue stop just before Richmon d Avenue in Port Richmond. On your way to Rich­ mond Avenue, the starting point of th is tour , take a look at some of the lar ge old h ou ses , many hidden und er mod ern sidings, along Richmond Terrace facing th e water .

This walking tour w ill explo re the ne ar ­ ly 300 year long history of what w as de scribed in 1883 as Staten Island 's " Model Village ." Upon thi s history , the citize ns of Port Richmond are no w bu ild ing anew .

Port Richmond wa s first kn own as th e Bur ial Place, named after w ha t is now th e Reformed Dutch Church ceme tery which dates back to the 1690s. Living in this area and all along the Shore Road (Richmond Terrace ~ formally laid out in 1704 ) were se tt lers of Dutch and French ba ckground.

A ferr y owned by Jac ob Corsen ran to

Bergen Point, New Jersey from a landing at what would be th e foot of Richmond Avenue (laid out in 1701 ). Th is do ck became an important link in the steamship route between New York and Philadelphia in the early 19th ce ntury and around it grew the village of Port Richm ond .

The 1830s brought a nu mber of Staten Island "firsts" to Port Rich mond. In 1836, the first plann ed open space on Staten Island - what is now called Veteran 's p ark - and its surrounding sidestreets were laid out by members of th e Hau ghwout family.

The next yea r, Stat en Island 's first (and on­ ly) whaling com pa n y was es ta blishe d on the shore opposit e th e foot of th e present Park Avenue , and in conjunction with th is v enture the Island 's first bank was also founded. And ab out this time, th e village received its permanent nam e of Port Rich­ mond, which pr ov ed to be more popular than names su ch as New Bristol , Cityville, Irvington , and Cyre ne w hich w er e used off

Bergen Point Ferry Landing, Intersection or Richmond Terrace and Richm ond Road, c. 1890, SIlAS.

32

and on in the 1830s an d 1840s. Previo usly the village had gene ra lly bee n know n by the nam e of the ferry-Decke r's , Ryers', and finally Mersereau 's Ferry or Lan ding.

Commerce an d indu st ry prospered and in 1866 the village was incor por ated . In 1883 Port Rich mon d was des cribed as follows: The gene ra l appearance of Port Richmond is invitin g and pleas ing. The stree ts are wid e, w e ll-maca da miz ed a nd smoo th ; the side walks we ll­ paved and gener ally shaded by trees of large growth. The business blocks are sub stantial and the dw ellings ran ge fro m pr etentiou s man sion s to quiet cottages . The by-laws of the village are very strict aga ins t nu isances of eve ry description , and are faithfully enforced.

Port Richmond has beco me widely known as th e " Mode l Village ."

On this tour , youare invi ted to discove r how much of the thu s praised village remains today .

pa ny took over the sit e a nd beca me one of Port Rich mond's leading industries. Mu ch lat er th ey we re taken over by Nationa l Lead , makers of " Dutch Boy" pa in ts . To yo ur left we re the ferry landings. Note th e woo de n bu ilding here, high tly altered , but retaini ng its b rac kets under the gab le end eaves. From the mid 1800s , it is the oldest remai ning building in what was the village commercial ce nt er and co ntras ts with its later 19th ce ntury masonry neighbors. In th e late 1890s, it hou sed Post's Bak ery, Confecti on ar y and Lun ch Room . Not e th e last building (yellow brick) to yo ur right near th e wa ter. White bri ck trim , th e arched window, and stained glass window transoms with th e initials D.C . are ple as­ ing d etail s.

2. 2047 Richmond Terrace Not e th e int er esting decor at ive fea ture s of this handsom e red brick dou ble building - th e pr essed metal co rnice , quoin wo rk on the co rners and in th e ce nte r, made of sma ll terra cotta blocks w it h littl e py rami da l projections , and be tween th e two floor s a row of the sa me blocks wi th egg and dart terra cotta moldi ng above .

This tour guide comments on but a sma ll part of the hist oric treasu res of Po rt Rich­ mond. We hope it inspires yo u to ap­ preciate the man y mor e left unm ention ed .

As you go along, be sure to look up and see how many historic remnan ts survive above the modern ized gro und floor s of b uildings or behind mod ern sidings .

Old Port Richm ond Hotel, c. 1890, SIl AS.

1. The Port Richmond waterfront, interse ction of Richmond Avenue and Richmond' Terrace The " birthp lace" of Port Richmond Village . On yo u r right, as yo u face th e water, was the locat ion of Staten Island Whaling company , fou n de d in 1837. In 1842; after their sperm can dle man ufactory burned down, the Jewett White Lead Com­

3. Site of the old Port Richmond Hotel Built c. 1795 by Gozen Ryers , the residence was con ve rted in to a hotel aro und 1820, a nd kn own variously as th e Port Richmond , St. Jam es, and Con tine n­ tal Hot el. Aaron Burr, U .S. vice -p resident (1801-1805), died here in 1836 at th e age of 80 . Build ing d em olish ed ab out 1945.

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PORT RICHMOND

,I

-:

I

I

I

I

Griffith Bu ilding , c. 1886, Meeder and Chubb, engraver s, SIHS.

4 . Griffith Block, Richmond Avenue and Ri chmond Terrace Built in 1875 for Cha rles E. Griffith, a "manufac turer and dea ler in fine an d coa rse Boots, Shoes, Slippe rs & Rub bers of every descrip tion." This imp ressive br ick building wi th rou nd arc he d w indows is crowned by an ela borate co rnice with brackets term inating in sp iral pendants.

5 . 2065 R ichmond T errace Seve ral sto refronts in th is wood frame (and now refaced) commercial building constructed before 1874 still su ggest th e originals . Above , wi ndows retain their ornamental frame s and some of the origina l sas h.

34

6. Jewett s ta b le , Richmond T e r race The lar ge home locat ed here on the 1887 ma p belonging to George W . Jewett is gone, but his impressive stable bu ilt before 1874 h as ma n aged to s ur v ive . T he decorative tr im aro und th e doo r and win足 dows reflects th e vanished op ulence of his resi dence . Note th e cop pe r be ech to the right. George W . was the youngest member of Joh n Jewett an d Sons Wh ite Lea d Company .

7. Empire Theater, now Farrell Lumber, Richmond Terrace opposite the Jewett stable.

Designed by th e prolific Staten Islan d arch itec t and Port Rich mon d resident Jam es Whitford , thi s thea ter wa s built before 1917 and for muc h of its history was highly pop ula r for its famil y mov ie show­ ings. It is a rela tively severe building in the Roman esque Revival style, with interesti ng towers and a de corativ e blind arcade.

8. 26 Richmond Avenue Th e man sard r oof of th e 1870s building still has its original slate . Th e decora tive brick work, br ack et s with foliat e mo tifs and th e contrast es tablished by recessed pan els sh ould al so be not ed . Aro und the corner on Richmon d Avenue is the 1909 Classical Revival style addition to what was the n known as the Port Richmond National Bank . Thi s add itio n and th e con te mpo rary extensive alteratio ns of th e ea rlier bu ildin g we re th e wo rk of Jam es Wh itford.

9. Richmond Avenue A v ery handsome row of cornmer ­ ciallr es ide ntial buildings of th e late 19th century. The gro u nd floors are greatly altere d , but look up . The bu ilding to th e right of Stat en Island Plat e Glass p roudly proclaims its dat e - 1885 - in th e arch ed cornice . Above Viki ng Furniture note th e decorative metal ped iments placed over win do ws and th e att ractive corn ice .

10. The Reform ed Church and Cemetery, 54 Richmond Av enue Dedicated in 1845, th is handsome brick Gr eek Revival structure wi th its wooden cupo la is the third Reform ed ch ur ch built on this site . The first , a sma ll hexagonal bu ildin g, wa s co mp le ted in 1715 and destroyed by the British during the Revolu­ tion. A plan of that build ing , d ra wn by Daniel Corson in 1751, s urv ives . It has been sugge sted th at the many -sided dom e of the 1898 Sunday School wing designed

by Osca r S. Teal e evokes the earlier chu rch . Teale was interested in magi c and

wrote seve ral books on th e subjec t; he was also th e designer of Houdini's tom b. In th e ce metery are bu ried memb ers of Stat en Island 's an d Port Richmond 's olde st famili es. Noti ce the names Van Pelt, M ers er eau , Corsen, Ryers, De Hart , Kru ser , De G roo t , Post , Pr all , Hau ghwout, and othe rs on th e bro wnst on e and marble headstones wit h th eir de ath-head , ange l­ head and wings, and weep ing w illow motifs. Not e too that most of the mar ble stones, from th e ea rly 19th centur y, have been eroded by the w eathe r and ai r po llu ­ tion , but tha t man y of th e 18th cen tury brownst on e marker s are marvelou sly intact.

Ploorplan of First Refor med Chur ch, c. 1751, dra wn by Daniel Corson, SIl A S.

11 , 12 . Richm ond Ave n u e, corne r of An n Street Look ab ove th e tw o corner shops .

Mid-19th century hou ses (or ea rl ie r?) sit atop modern sto refronts . Abov e your head are the tra cks fo r the old North Shor e Railroad, begun in 1885 an d disco n tin ued in 195 3.

13.71 Park Avenue A much alte re d hou se, but th e Gothic Revival bar geboard in th e gable has su rv ive d.

35

PORT RICHMOND 14.' 93 Park Aven ue Built c. 1850-51, this charmi ng Goth ic Revival cottage served as a law office for Lot C. Clark. Hallmarks of th is style in­ clude the steep gables, po inted w indows with their elabo rated hood mo ldin gs, and pr om inent chim neys. Th e slate roof, not common on Staten Island , is another attrac­ tive feature . Clar k was the pr osecuting at­ torney at Sta ten Island 's m ost famous trial - th e Polly Bodine murder, case of 1843.

Polly wa s accused of killin g her brother's wife and his bab y, Th e trial , held in th e Third County Courthouse in Richmond ­ town, ended in a hung jury, and th e venue was cha nge d seve ral tim es before Polly was finally found not guilty . The mu rders rem ain unsolved to th is day .

15 . 49 -51 An n Street,

54-76 Heber ton Avenue

This two-family house on Ann Street and the long row around the corner are unu sual for Port Richmond , whe re most residen ces are deta ch ed hou se s. Built of warm yellow/o range brick in the 1890s, they ar e orn am ented w ith a m eta l corn ice pressed wi th classical swag s and topp ed at inte r­ va ls wit h me tal urns. Note ho w th e wooden porche s have been alter ed over the years .

16 . 121 Hebe rton Aven ue This would see m to be a good exa mple of Port Rich mond 's " q uiet cottages" men­ tioned in 1883. This simple vernacular hou se with deep bra ck eted eaves wa s pro ­ bab ly built in th e 1860s. J. Ho useman wa s its owner in 1874.

17 . New York Public Lib rary: Po rt Richmond b ranch, 75 Ben n ett St reet Comp leted in 1904 at the cost of $19,000, the Port Rich mo nd lib rary is one of four publ ic librar ies built on Staten Island soo n aft er 1900. All were de signed by Carrere and Hasting, architects for the m ain libra ry 36

buildin g at 42nd Stree t in Manhattan . Th ey als o designed a number of p rojects on Stat en Island , incl udi ng Borou gh Hall , th e Courthou se next doo r, and a nu mber of pri vat e res id ences . Th eir use of stucco and brick here s uggests a rural vers ion of the Cla ssical Rev ival styl e. John M . Carrere maint ained a home and studio at the corn er of Fort Place and St. Mar ks place in St. George, opposi te th e Bright on Height s Reformed Churc h . Th at site is no w a park ­ ing lot.

18. 10 3 Park Aven ue An intriguing and un usua l (for Port Rich­ mond ) multi-story b uilding of bri ck dating from th e m id-19th cen tur y or poss ibly earlier. Although mu ch has been cha nged, note th e small attic -level windows, brow nstone sills and six-ove r-six wind ows.

19 . 120 P ark Ave n ue Th e am ple porch , elabor ate side light s flanking the door , a nd stain ed glass tra n­ som window in the bay are not eworthy features of this Colonia l Revival sty le ho use .

20. P ark Bapti st Ch urch, 13 0 Park Ave n ue This cong regatio n was organized as the Nor th Baptist Church of Sta ten Island in 184 1. Its first meet ing hou se was dedi cated in 1843; the co rne rstone be aring th is date can be seen on the Vreeland Stree t side of the bu ilding. The Gothi c Revival str uc tur e fronti ng th e park wa s built in th e early 1870s, constr uction tha t coincided with its new and p resent name - Par k Bap tist Ch ur ch. Whi le here look up Pa rk Avenue and note th e impressive Classical Rev ival bui ldin g at the end of th e stree t. Designed

by Jame s Whitford , it served as th e Ma soni c Te mple and now hou ses the

c.Y.a.

37

PORT RICHMOND 21. Union Free School, later P .S. 20 The 1898 addition fronting the pa rk continues the Rom an esq ue Revi val style of th e original 1891 building facin g New Street. Not e th e abundant decorative sc ulptural detail, es pecially th e head s o n th e keyst on es ab ove th e window s. Th is may be considered the most elabo rate ly orna me nted sc hoo l ever co ns truc ted on Stat en Island. Note th e rough-surfaced bri ck and , in th e olde r sec tion , the att rac ­ tive rose-colored mortar.

22. 155 H eberton Avenue Thi s is a ver y att racti ve Colon ial Reviv al house of stu cco and brown wood tr im . Th e gr een tile roof provides con tras t and a tou ch of the Span ish Mission sty le.

23 ,24. 183 and 184 Heberton Avenue These m uch alt ered Goth ic Revi val cottages are among the ea rliest hou ses o n th is stree t.

25. 193 Heberton Avenue A slopin g roof, steep gam brel-sha ped peak and flan kin g dormer s ar e striking features of this Colonial Revival st yle house. But look again . Not e th e two old paneled chi m neys, and in th e side gabl e ends and front cross ga ble th e pointed win ­ do w s wit h th eir diamond panes in th e up­ per sas h . Might thi s be a Gothic Revival cottage that wa s con siderably altered in the early 1900 s7 26. 198 Heberton Avenue Freeman Decker , me mbe r of a promi ­ n ent Sta ten Island fam ily and a commer­ cial mer chant whose business was located a t th e Washington market in New York, built thi s very imposing Second Empire sty le hou se in 1876. Many exte rior details mer it yo ur atten tion - from the patt ern­ ed brickwork chimneys and the elaborately enframe d dorm er s to the handsome stoop leading to th e arched main d oorway .

Grace M. E. Church, drawin g of 186 7 build ing from 1883 pa mphlet, SIlAS.

38

27. Grace M.E. Church ­ Faith United Methodist Church, 221 Heberton Avenue The firs t G race Methodi st Ep iscopal Churc h on th is site was co ns truc ted in 1867 for its newly-formed con gre gati un . It burn ­ ed in 1895 a nd p lan s w ere im medi a tel y mad e for a new - the present - b u ild in g.

Th e terra cu tta band b elow th e co rne r tow er steep le on th e Castle ton Avenue side reads " Erected A.D. 1895." Design ed by Port Richmo nd a rc h ite cts Ja m es Whitfor d and G eo rge Sm alle, this b u ild in g p rov id es a striking co lo ristic con tra st bet w ee n d ar k colore d brick and the ora nge h ues of its ab und an t terra co tta trim . Th e twin e n tr y porch es flanking a cen tra l st airw ay ar c a no the r a tt rac tive fea ture .

28. 233 Heberton Avenue Hall m ark fea tures of thi s a ttrac tive Italianat e villa are th e p ro mi nen t tow er , f1att ish roof, and b ra ck ets under th e ea ves .

Built in the 1860s , this house wa s occ up ied

by Dr. T .D . Lyo n s in 1874 .

29. 253 H ebe rton Av enue Th is is one of Por t Richmon d 's m any Qu een Ann e style houses . Built in th e 1890s, it fea tures a co rne r tower. Th e s un­ burst ornam ent an d the use of sta ined glass are other ch ar acteri stics of thi s sty le .

30 . 252 Heberton Av enue To t q uite so gra nd as 198 H ebert un , thi s Seco nd Empi re s tyle house "vas b uilt somew ha t ea rlier for Ja mes B. Poll oc k. He was described in 1883 as one of Po r t Rich ­ mond 's mos t d edi cat ed civic se rva n ts, ha ving se rve d as a n officia l in one capaci­ ty or ano the r sinc e th e village 's in corpura­ tion in 1866. In 188 3, he held th e off ice of village tr ea sure r.

31. 272 Heberton Avenue Th is hou se w as built c . 1886 for William S. Va n C lief, a pa rtner in a nd lat er owner of the la rge lu mb er a nd build in g ma teri a l ya rd at the foot of Ferry Stre et. As to be expec ted, th is clapboard a nd orna me n tal shingle covered hou se is accen tua ted by its co nside rab le w ood trim . Note , for exa m­ ple , th e porch balust rad e .

32. 27 3 Heberton Av enue No te th e stab le to the righ t behind this hou se , which was built in th e 1880s for W .

And e rson .

33 . 290 Heherton Avenue An ample po rch di sti ngu ish es thi s ve ry comforta b le Colon ial Rev ival style ho us e cons tr uc te d c . 1910 fo r m ach in ist G eorge S. Ma whinne y.

34 . 3 2 0 Heberton Avenue Fish sca le shi ng les a nd orna m e n ta l b rack ets ad orn thi s a tt rac t ive Qu ee n Ann e sty le hou se built som e time be fo re 1887.

3 5 . 32 5 Heberton Av enu e Thi s Queen Anne hou se , so mew ha t later th an # 320 Heb erton , fea tures attracti ve w oo d trim and wi ndow tra n so m s filled with st ain ed glass . Compar e it to it s next do u r n eighbor.

3 6 . 983-985 Post Avenue T he Queen An ne sty le is her e us ed fo r a dou bl e hou se . T he bu rn t brick po rc hes an d large ch imneys ar e par ticularly a t­ tr activ e.

3 7 . Temple Emanu-el , 984 Post Avenue A Cla ss ica l Rev ival bu ild in g top ped by a p romine nt do me at op a ta ll d rum , Tern ­ p ie Ema n u-el was d esigned by th e Port Richm ond ar ch itect and en gin eer Harry W .

Pelcher an d bui lt in 1907 . A cu n te m por ary news paper acco u n t reporte d th at its design had be en in sp ir ed by th e grea t sy n agogu e o f Warsaw.

END OF TOU R If by now you 'r e in need of some refr eshments , th e deli on th e corn er of Post a nd Hebert on has sand w iches , cold drinks , co ffee, an d othe r snac ks .

If yo u ' re tr avel in g by b us ba ck to th e fe rr y te rminal in St. George , ta ke the S·102 o n thi s sid e of Post Ave n ue .

39

KREISCHERVILLE/CHARLESTON WALKING TOUR

0 .0 I

40

WIN A ~N T ----==----",

1. Charles Kreischer House, 4505 Arthur Kill Road 2. Site of Kreischer Brick Works and New York Anderson Pressed Brick Company, to we st of curve of Arthur Kill Road and Kreischer Street.

3. Workers' Housing 71-87 Kreischer Avenue 4. 122 Androvette Street 5. Christian Neilsen's Hotel, 100-106 Kreischer Street 6. Washington Hook and Ladder Co., 50 Androvette Street 7. Kreisher Street between Androvette and Winant Streets

8. Free Hungarian Reformed Church (formerly St. Peter's Evangelical Reformed Church) , 19-23 Winant Street 9. Ni cholas Killmeyer Store

and Dwelling,

4321 Arthur Kill Road

10. Century Inn (formerly Killmeyer's Union Hotel), 4254 Arthur Kill Road 11. Public School 4 4212 Arthur Kill Road 12 . Site of West Baptist Church , West Baptist Church Cemetery across from P.S. 4.

41

KREISCHERVILLE/CHARLESTON WALKING TOUR

To reach Kreischerville, today known as Charleston, board the S-113 bus that goes along Arthur Kill Road to Tottenville from Ramp B in the St. George Ferry Terminal.

You will get off the bus in Charleston near Englewood Avenue [ask the bus driver).

Continue on foot several hundred feet further down Arthur Kill Road to the starting point indicated on your map.

This tour explores the history of one of Staten Island's small 19th-century "company towns," the settlements which coalesced around its major industrial com足 plexes. Because there was no Colonial period ferry here, development began slowly. Late 18th-century maps show just two houses in this vicinity. They were located above and below the small inlet known as Topper's Creek, near which the Kreischer brick-making factory was to be built in 1854. The house to the north of the creek is labelled "P. Androvette" on early maps. The house at 122 Androvette Street (#4 on the tour) is in the same general

location as that house; it is clearly the oldest structure in Kreischerville.

By 1850 a small village, then known as Androvetteville, had developed. Of the twenty-nine structures shown on a map of that date, some seven or eight were owned

by Androvettes. Most of the houses were built along Arthur Kill Road and a few were scattered between the road and the shore. The village center was located at the intersection of Arthur Kill Road and Sharrotts Road. Stores were located on two corners (one remains as part of the Century Inn) and nearby stood the West Baptist Church built in 1847. (The church is gone but its cemetery survives.) Like the in足 habitants of other mid-19th century villages in southern Staten Island, the residents of Androvetteville either farmed or were engaged in the water-related trades as oystermen, ship joiners and masters of vessels.

Fire-brick Works of B. Kreischer and Sons, c. 1898, SIlAS.

42

I.

I

Growth of the village gained momentum with the establishment of the Kreis ch er brick manufacturing plant here in 1854 .

Baltha zar Kreisch er, co-founder of the Kreischer and Mumpeton fire-brick com ­ pany in 1845, was born in Hornbach, Bavaria, in 1813. Trained as a mason, he arrived in New York City in 1836, on e of a number of European masons recruited to help rebuild vast porti ons of th e city destroy ed by fir e in 1835. The discovery on Stat en Island of the clay type required in th e manufacture of he at resistant bri cks brought Kreischer to th is village. The clay dep osits , similar to th ose apparen tly ac­ quired earlier by Kreischer in Woodbridge , N.J., w ere , according to Albert Killm eyer , origin ally di sco vered b y hi s fath er Nicholas. Nich olas Killm eyer is an oth er significant figure in Kreischerville 's early hist ory. Arriving from Germany in 1850, he soon became associat ed with Kreischer.

The 1855 census lists h im as a two-year resid ent of Staten Island and his occupa­ tion is described as "fire-bricks. " With him lived nine boarders - Ger man and Irish - who were among the new brick factory 's first employees. By 1859 Kreischer had set Killmeyer up in the grocery business at the Century Inn location, an occupation ­ togeth er with th e relat ed inn and hotel business - he pursu ed th er eafter.

Kreischer's factory was located on the ex­ tensive lands he had acq uired on th e southern edge of the village . It grew from a sm all building at th e edge of the water to an enormous complex whi ch extended from the shoreline all the way to Kreischer Street. Kreisch er's imposing Italianate mansion with its lav ishl y landscap ed grounds was set high on the hill risin g above the factory. In th e 1880s two hand­ som e residences (one survives) for Kreisch er's sons were built on the low er port ion of this same slope. The residences all enjoyed a co mma nding view of th e factory complex below .

Th e pr incipal pr odu cts during the firm 's early years were firebricks for various types of ovens, and th e retorts and oth er vessel s required in th e manufacture of illumina ting gas . Compan y ord er books

reveal that Kreis ch er products w ere sh ip­ ped to gas co mp anie s from Maine to Californ ia . Beginning in th e lat e 19th century , manu facture of building ma terial s assumed incr easing importance . "Front" or facing bri cks in a variety of colors were introduced as was terracotta ornam ent ­ the urns , cla ssica l moldings, plaqu es, medallions, etc . dem anded by the Beau x­ Arts and other Classical Revival styles .

Kreischer building materials we re used by many of th e period' s leading ar chitects ­ McKim Mead and White, Ern est Flagg, Leopold Eidlit z, and Carrere and Hastings, to mention but a few of the sever al hun­ dred ar chitects and bu ilders listed in a 1902 ca talogue of Kreisch er products.

CharlestonlKreischerville with brickworks in

background, 1907, Herman Gueth er,

photograph er, SIl AS.

Charleston was bo rn from th e demise of Kreischerville , an eve nt w hic h is pr oba bly attrib utable to a number of factors in­ cluding th e lack of Kreischer hei rs in­ terested in con tin uing the business (Pete r and Murray And rovette were the com ­ pany's chief executive officers by 1906) and a decreased dem and for building ma teria ls in th e peri od preceding the Gr eat Depres­ sio n. Th e factor y was closed in 1927. Th e former Kreisch er mansi on wa s dest royed by fire in 1931. Th e factory comp lex m et a similar fat e in 1936. Yet there are many traces still to be see n of this on ce pr o­ sp erous and ac tive "com pan y village."

43

KREISCHERVILLE/CHARLESTON

1. Charles Kreischer House, 4504 Arthur Kill Road The tour begins with th e exube ra n t " Victorian eclec tic" s ty le hou se a top th e hill on your left. A New York Cit y Lan d足 mar k, it is th e last rem ainin g residen ce ass ociated with the Kreischer Fam ily. Some "s tick" style elem en ts, th e fee ling of Swiss chalet in th e gabl es, th e tow er, dorm e r w indows and wra p-a ro und porc hes a ll cre a te a highly picturesque co mposi tion .

No te th e Kreisch er brick chi m neys . Built a bo ut 1888 , the house ca n probably be a tt ributed to Palli ser a nd Palliser, an arc h itec tur al firm w hich specialized in the p rod uct ion of patt ern books featuring resi den tial designs. Ju st so uthwes t (closer to Arthur Kill Road ] a sim ilar hou se was built at the sa me time for Cha rles' s bro ther, Ed ward . Balthaza r Kreischer 's man sion stood be h ind a nd ab ove those of his sons .

Th e th ree resid en ces in their hier a rchi cal ar ra ngement ove rloo ked th e br ickworks belo w .

"Double Pug Mill Belt for feedin g clay at H. Kreisher's So ns, " 1900, SI HS.

2. Site of Kreischer Brick Work s and New York Anderson Pressed Brick Company, to west of curve of Arthur Kill Road and Kreischer Street.

Behind you on the curve of Art hur Kill Road and mar ked by two flash ing red light s is Kreisch er Street. Th e hea vily wo oded a reas to th e left of th e road we re o nce th e location of the Kreischer brickworks an d th e New York Anderso n Pressed Brick

44

Com pany , a di visi on of th e Kreis cher Co mpa ny . Th e sm all c ree k th at yo u cross was , in th e n ineteenth century , a ca nal w h ich se rv ice d th e factor y co m plex ; ea rly prints sho ws vessels anc hored along it. Just beyon d this strea m was Pet er Androvett c 's coa l ya rd o n you r left . Continu e north on Kreische r Stree t.

3. Workers' Housing,

71 -87 Kreischer Street

Thi s row of sma ll do u ble unit hom es o n th e right side of Kreisch er Stree t is th e bes t re m aining example of Kreisch er fac to ry w or kers' housing. (Wo rkers' hou sing onc e occ up ied the left side of this stree t as we ll.)

Th is row was co nstr uc te d abo ut 1890. The arc hing trees, wooden fen cin g and relative足 ly unalt er ed facades ma ke it one of the bes t preserved vis tas of old Kre isc he rv illc .

No tice th e b rick sid ew al ks a nd pa thways .

Her e Kreischer bric k in var ious colors a nd glazes bearing a var ie ty of sta mps crea tes a verit abl e " prod uc t ca talog ue ." Con tinue to th e ne xt int er secti on (th is is Androvette Stree t, but th er e is no sign ) a nd turn left.

4. 122 Androvette Street Thi s hom e is ve ry possibly the P. And re 足 ve tte ho use sho w n o n maps of th e late -eight eenth ce ntury. Its locati on, shape , genera l proportions , roof pr ofile , a nd sma ll second-story windows all d iffe re ntia te it from lat e r ninet ee nth-century gabl ed houses bu ilt here . Siding a nd exten sive alte ra tions, howev er , o bscure its early dat e.

Members of the Androvett e famil y have liv ed in this vicinity for close to two h un 足 dr ed years . Pet er Androve tte became Pr esident of the Kreischer Brick Company soo n aft er th e turn of th e ce ntury a nd occupied the house that had belong ed to Edward Kreisch er. Turn back now toward Kreisch er Str eet to th e near left hand co rner.

Christian N eilsen 's Hotel , c. 1910, w . ], Grim shaw, photographer, SIHS.

5. Christian Neilsen' s Hotel, 100-106 Kreischer St reet Located at th e int er sect ion of Kreisch er and Androvett e Stree ts (an in te rsec tion whi ch sym bolizes mu ch of thi s village's hist ory) Neilsen 's Hot el once possessed considera ble cha rm . (See illu s trat ion ] Alth ough th e bas ic form s of th e origina l structur e, built in the 1890s , can still be obse rve d, modern brick facing an d other alterat ions obsc ur e (or ha ve remov ed) th e det ailing an d orn ame n t that w ere the source of its spec ial cha rac ter. Th e old barn or outb uilding ac ross Kreischer Stree t also belonged to Neilsen and was pr obably a facility relat ed to the hotel. Continue down Androvett e Stree t.

6. Washington Hook and Ladder Co ., 50 Androvette Street Bu ilt for th e volunteer fire co m pa ny organ ized in 1894, th e bu ilding reflects th e dom est ic ar chit ecture of that peri od . Not e the fish -scale shingles an d tall foundation of Kreisch er brick. Th ere was once a plan

to mo ve thi s structure to Rich moridtown Restor ation , bu t thi s idea was aba ndone d and th e bu ild ing is now priva tely ow ne d and has been extensively ren ovat ed .

Ju st beyond the re is a small San dwich Deli w here sandwiches and coffee or a cold dri nk can be purch ased. Return to Kreischer Street and co nti nue northward .

7. Kreischer St reet between Androvette and Winant Street Th is block of Kreischer Street sti ll con 足 veys th e feeling of th e picturesque nin et eenth-century village Kreischerville on ce w as. Notice , for examp le, the ver足 na cul ar Gothic Revival dou ble h ouse at # 121 , just nor th of Neils en 's barn. The tall slend er pr op ortions, peaked center gable of th e facad e, th e sma ll decorat ive wi n足 dows in th e gable peak s an d ample porch ar e charac te ristic of this styl e . Several of the ho uses on this street have ch im neys .mad e of Kreisch er brick . Turn righ t on Wi足 nant Stre et.

45

KREISCHERVILLE/CHARLESTON

Killm eyer's Un ion Hot el, c. 1910,

w. I

Grimshaw, photograp her, SIHS

8. Free Hungarian Reformed Church (formerly St. Peter's Evangelical Reformed Church], 19-23 Winant St reet

9 . Nicholas Killme yer Store

and Dwelling,

4321 Arthur Kill Road

This Gothic Revi val style building was given to the inhabitants of Kreis ch ervill e

by Balthazar Krei scher in 1883, short ly before his de ath . His will stip ula ted that it be maintained as a Prot estant ch urc h and be used also as a public sc hoo l during th e time the busin ess w as continued by his sons. In 1890 th e building w as partiall y burned, reconst ru cted , and th e adjoinin g pa rish hall added . The church ac q uire d its present congregation in 1916 . Aluminum sid ing pr ecludes listing in th e national Regist er of Hist ori c Places, but its pre sent app ea rance refl ects well th e ori gin al. Th e facade po rch with its o rn a me ntal post and brackets and the rows of sm all dormers near the roof rid ge-lin e a re nota ble features. The fenc e pillars in front of the churc h ar e constru cted of Kreisch er bri ck.

Continue down Winant Stree t to the corn e r of Arthur Kill Road .

German -born Nichol as Killm ey er arri v足 ed h er e w ith Balth azar Kreischer about 185 3, w orked several years in the br ick factory , a nd wa s later set up in th e groce ry bu sin ess by Kreisch er. The sign "Establish足 ed 1859" to be see n at the Century Inn (#10 on the tour I ref er s to th e op ening of Killm ey ers bu sin ess at that location . Thi s later store and dw elling, built ab out 1874 , still has m ost of its original features int act : ar ch ed dormer s, fish-scal e s late sh ingles with decorati ve ros ett es , bra ckets and mansard roof. Chimn eys are made of Krei sch er bri ck. Th e integration of a store a nd residen ce in a Sec o nd Empire sty le building is an un common survivor on Staten Island . Killmeyer was supp lier to the Kreischer family and many of th e village 's inhabitants as we ll. Turn left onto Arthur Kill Road and w alk up to Sha rrotls Road.

46

10. Cen tu ry Inn (formerly Killme yer's Un ion Hotel), 4 254 Ar th ur Kill Road Th e older straight-gabled porti on of this building, whic h dates from the village 's pr e-Kreischer days , was bui lt about 1845.

Used as a grocery store and residence by John Batchellor , it was acquired by Balthazar Kreisch er in 1855. Although this portion of the structure has undergon e many alterations, its general proportions and th e small scale of the upper story windows still suggest the simple vernacular sty le employed for many State n Island dw ellings of this da te . The mu ch larger addi tion was built as a hotel and in n in the early 1880s; on an 1887 atlas th e b uild ing is identified as " Killmeyer' s Unio n Hotel. " A cross-gabled structure, it retains a numb er of origi na l features suc h as the fish-scale shing les and crossbar bracing in the gab le peaks and the p rominen t lin tels above the second story wi ndows. Note the Kreischer br ick sid ewa lk . Wit hin there is a handsome elaborately carved bar and decorative ceiling of pressed tin . Continue north on Arthur Kill Road .

11. Public Sch ool 4 , 421 2 Arthur Kill R oad Kreischer facing bricks on the facade and the resulting polychromatic contrasts make this school, built in (896, different from its ma ny red bri ck cousins . Note the use of brick inset banding. Public school use ceas足 ed in 1984.

12. Site of W est Baptist Ch urc h, West Baptist Church Cemeter y, across fr om P .S. 4.

Across Arthur Kill Road from the sch ool is the site of the village 's first church. Built in 1847, th e church no longer stands .

Howev er, wa lk into the cemetery which s urrounds th e site it occupied . The Killmeyer Family plot is to th e rig ht of th e pat h way. In scri pt ions on th e stones in th e rear porti on of thi s ce me tery are in German .

END OF TO UR

To retu rn to the St. George Te rmina l, take the S-113 bus right in front of Public Sch ool 4.

West Baptist Church and Cem etery, c. 1910, W. J. Grimshaw, photographer, SIRS.

47

PRINCE'S BAY WALKING TOUR

WO L FE'S

POND

ATLAIIITIC

OCEAN

48

1. Seguine Avenue 2. Seguine House, 440 Seguine Avenue 3. Manee/Seguine Homestead (or Old Homestead Hotel, Purdy 's Hotel), 509 Seguine Avenue 4. Lemon Creek, corner Seguine Avenue and Purdy Place 5. Purple Martin Colony, end of Johnston Terrace 6. S.S. White Dental Manufacturing Company, Johnston Terrace

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Johnston Terrace 41, 43 , 45 Purdy Place 486 Holten Avenue 474 Holten Avenue Wolfe 's Pond Park, to right of Holten Avenue 51 Wilbur Place 449 Seguine Avenue 433 Seguine Avenue Old Richmond Memorial Hospital building, northeast corner Seguine Avenue and Melville Street

49

PRINCE'S BAY WALKING TOUR

If you're traveling to Prince's Bay by public transportation from the Staten Island ferry terminal, take the # 103 bus which goes along Hylan Boulevard to Tottenville. Riding nearly to the southern end of the island, get off at the Seguine Avenue (Richmond Memorial Hospital) stop just past Wolfe's Pond Park. Cross Hylan Boulevard and walk down Seguine Avenue to the start of the tour marked on your map. Another possibility, but one which involves a half mile walk to the start of the tour, is to take the Staten Island Rapid Transit, get off the train at the Prince's Bay station, and walk down Seguine Avenue and cross Hylan Boulevard to reach the start of the tour.

The area of Prince's Bay covered in this walking tour has a long and rich history , dating back to 1670 when the governor of New York granted 140 acres here to Paulus Richards, and can claim not only one of the oldest houses still standing on Staten Island but also a spendid waterfront location.

During the early 18th century, the land in this neighborhood was owned by the Abraham Manee family, French Huguenots who lived in the Manee足 Seguine Homestead (#3 on tour) for many years before selling it to the Seguines in 1786. Both the Manees and Seguines, as well as many others in the area, were actively engaged in both farming and fishing. Prince's Bay was especially well

known for its oyster beds. When commer足 cial harvesting began here is not known, but in the 17th century there was a kiln for making lime out of oyster shells nearby, and written sources of the time refer to pickled oysters being shipped from New York to Barbados. By th e early 1800s, the natural oyster beds had become exhausted and were "planted" with seed oysters from local waters . By 1813, Prince's Bay oysters had achieved considerable renown, and were specifically mentioned in a guide to New York of that year. Seed oysters from Maryland and Virginia were being planted here by the 1820s. Growth of this industry in the 1830s brought with it the black oystermen who settled at Sandy Ground.

By the 1850s, manufacturing was in足 troduced to Prince's Bay, and would play an important role in this community for over one hundred years. The first in足 dustries - Staten Island Oil and Staten Island Oil and Candle - were incorporated in 1848. By 1856 , they employed 100 persons either directly or indirectly. Ten thousand pounds of imported African palm oil were used daily in the making of candles which were shipped as far away as California and South America. After the plant (located at the foot of Seguine Avenue) was sold in 1864, it was rented to the Middleton Gas, Water, and Drain Pipe Manufactory before the production of dental supplies was begun here in 1876.

"The Works of the Staaten Island Oil Company-Princess Bay," 1856,

50

J.

W. Orr, engraver, SIHS.

This firm, to become S.S. White , was once the largest manufacturer of dental supplies in the world .

During the later 1800s , Prin ce's Bay beca me a popular resort area for visitors on day trips to enjoy the delicious oysters and scenic views. Although the oysters are now gone, yo u too can enjoy the views of the Atlantic Ocean and see on this tour the historic bui ldin gs and sites associated with all these aspe cts of the long history of Princ e's Bay.

Black oysterman tonging (or oysters in Rossville Bay, c. 1900, SIlAS.

1. Seg u ine Ave n ue

In 1670, th e governor of New Yor k granted all the land between Lemon Creek and Wolfe's Pond and ex tending from the waterfront northward to Amboy Road , 140 acres, to Paulus Regrinet. In 1694 , this same land was patented to Paulus Richards, a New York City merchant who owned conside rable property on Staten Island . By the early 18th century , this land was in the possession of the Abraham Manee fami ly, French H uguenot farmers and fishermen . They owned it for much of the 18th century before selling it to the Seguines , also H uguenots , in 1786. This stree t was once a pri va te road linking th e Manee-Seguine Homestead (#3 on tour) and the Seguine Hou se (next on tou r ) wi th Amboy Road. Of par ticular interest is th e row of Osage orange trees along the west side of Segui ne Aven ue from Memo Street dow n to Purdy Place . These trees mark the grounds of the Seguine House, built about 1840 by Joseph H. Seguine, and it is thought tha t they we re planted at the recommendation of Seguine 's neighbor to the northeast, Frederick Law Olmsted, creator of New York's Cen tral and Pro足 spect Parks (see Clifton Walking Tour, #8 for more).

2 . Se gu ine H ou se , 440 Seguine Ave n ue This house , built by Joseph H. Segui ne abo ut 1840 on the property his fat her and tw o uncles bou ght from the Manee family in 1786, is the most imposi ng Gr eek Revival mansion remaini ng on Staten Island 's southern shore and is a desi gnat ed New York City landmark. Characteristic of this style are th e low -pitched pedimented gable roof. th e six square two story tall coffered columns, and th e short attic story pierced alon g the sid es b y rectangular windows . Decorative elements , incl uding the forms of moldings , corni ces , capitals, and bas es, are Greek Revi val at its simples t.

Joseph H. Seguine (1801-1856) was a pro sperous oys te r trad er and fa rm er. He also was actively engaged in bu siness as preside n t of the Staten Island Oil and Statell Islan d Oi l and Candle Co mpanies (their fac tory was located at th e end of.

Seguine Aven u e , see #6' on to ur }, and was inst rumen tal in the creation of th e Staten Islan d Railroad, serving as its fir st presi足 dent. After his death in 1856 , it seems that the house was rented ou t. An 1874 at las ' identifies this build ing as the " Princess Bay House ," indicating that it w as used as a hotel. Th e fam ily sold it in 1885 to John Brinkman of New York , and aro und 1915 it was reaquired by Joseph C. Seguine wh o then occupied it for many years the reafter.

3 . M a nee/Segui n e H omestead (or Old Homest ead H otel , Pu rdy 'S Hotel ), 509 Segui n e Av e n ue One of Staten Island 's oldest b uildings, this farmho use may have bee n built by Pau lus Rich ards, who was gran ted this 140 ac re tract of land in 1696 , or by th e next ow ner - Abra ham Man ee. Like man y o t her ea rly Isl a n d fa r mh ou se s on shorefront tracts, it is set close to the wa ter .

The ma in fields tone section was bu ilt in two st ages, the oldest section being to the right of the center " Dutch" door. Although the projecting porch is new and the stone walls have been resurfaced, the basic forms of the original bui lding and the magnificent sweep of the ro of can still be appreciated .

51

PRINCE'S BAY The Manee family probably engaged in both farming and fishing . Abraham , the son or perhaps grandson of the original owner, died in 1780, and by 1786 the house was sold to the Seguines. Man y Manee des cendants continued to live in this area however , and we re involved in the oyster trade throughout the 1800s . The new ow ners - Henry, James, and John Seguine also were of Fren ch Huguenot background.

Henry was the main owner. He and his son Joseph H., born in 1801, did so well in the oyst er trade that Joseph, who received the family lands from his father in 1832, was by 1840 able to build the imposing Seguine house just seen on the tour. This house re足 mained in the hands of the Seguines until 1867. In 1874, it was acquired by Stephen Purdy , and became known as the Old Homestead Hotel. Serving day-trip visit ors who came to Prince's Bay to eat th e famous oysters and enjoy the views of the ocean, it was one of several popular hotels in the area .

-

/'

r:

- _.J-.

M allee/Segu ine Hom estead, Purdy 's H otel, 1922, W illiam T. Da vis, photographer, SIlAS ,

4. Lemon Creek, corner Seguine Avenue and Purdy Place After Joseph H. Seguine (builder of the Seguine House) died in 1856, small plots of his land along the east bank of Lemon Creek were sold to oysterm en as docking places for their oyster skiffs and barges . A 1907 map shows this area along the mouth of the creek was owned by the Prince's Bay Oyster Company. Today, as you can see , it is a busy marina .

52

As you stand her e, look to your right across Prince 's Bay to the opposite shore .

The large building sited on the bluff is one of the few remaining orig inal buildings of Mount Loretto (or Miss ion of the Im 足 maculate Virgin ). which was begun by Father Drumgoole in 1883 to provide care for homeless and orph an ed children . The old stone Red Bank lighthouse with its 45 foot high tow er and attached caretaker's residence was in active use from 1886 to 1926. Then no longer needed , it was bought by Mount Loretto from the Federal Government , and the beacon was replac足 ed by the statue of the Virgin. The first Prince 's Bay lighthouse was built here in 1828. Tradition states that the stones used to build its walls came from a nearby fort blockhouse, which was erected during the War of 1812 to pr otect the New York Harbor from the British.

5. Purple Martin Colony,

end of Johnston Terrace

The ori gins of th is large purple martin colony here on Lemon Creek date back to 1916 . In th at year you ng Howard Cleaves erected two twelve room martin houses in the back yard of his home on Purdy Place , hoping to attract martins to nest on Staten Island . After Cleaves m oved in 1918, the project was abandoned and was not to be resumed until the late 1940s when Cleaves put up the first martin house here on Lemon Creek . Tw o pairs of martins nested here in 1951, and since that time the colony has flourished .

6. S.S. White Dental Manufacturing Company, Johnston Terrace The first business on this site was Joseph H. Seguine's Staten Island Oil and Candle Company, which was incorporated in 1848. This waterfront location was ideal as the palm oil imported from Africa used to make the candles was delivered to the company dock . These candles, noted for their hardnes s and light , were shipped as far away as California and South America .

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"The 5. S. Whil e Dental W orks, Prince's Bay, " c. 1911, SIIA5.

In 1864, the factory was bought by Alger­ non K. Johnston, the inventor of a water­ proof bullet used by Union Troops during the Civil War. He leased th e plant to the Middleton Gas, Wat er , and Drainpipe Manufactory before moving the Brooklyn dental supply manufacturing firm his brothers founded in the 1860s here in 1876.

In 1881, Johnston Brothers merged with S.S. White, a Philadelphia firm begun in 1844 to make naturalistic pr ocelain teeth .

Much of the business remained in Philadelphia, but most of the manufactur­ ing operati on was co nsolidate d at the Staten Island plant. Business exp anded to include more produ cts - such as mouthwash , dental gum, toothpaste, and dental chairs and inst ruments - and many new branches and offic es we re op en ed throughout Am erica and Europe .

The main factory building frontin g Seguin e Avenue was built in 1888, and the long building west of the tower section and at right angles to it in 1901. Th e complex at the north end of th e main building was added in 1929 and 1937 . Th e plant was des cribed in 1944 as co ntaining " over 7

acres of movin g ma chines." With we ll over 1000 employees , it was on ce th e largest producer of den tal supplies in the world, making virtu ally everything used in den­ tistry from drill burrs and gold fittings to large pie ces of dental equipment. After op erations left Stat en Island , the plant was converted to a shopping center which was not financi ally successful. In 1985 this large plant stands in danger of demolition to make way for new development .

7. Johnston Terrace This street b ears the name of th e family who began the manufactu re of dental supplies here in 1876. The Johnston brothers - Algernon, Wilbur , Melville , and William - and their sons a fte r th em served as directors of the plant and manager s of various departmen ts. Alger­ non was th e first factory direct or. Much property in th e Prince's Bay ar ea was acquired by th e Johnston br others. The streets to the east of the Seguine House were on ce all nam ed for th em (the names Wilbur Place and Mel ville Street still remain althou gh the others be ar new

53

PRINCE'S BAY names) . Willi am Johnston's res ide nce whi ch once stoo d on the wa terside bl uff east of Lemon Cree k provided a fin e view of the site and facto ry.

8.41,43 ,45 Purdy Place Th ese hous es stand on pr opert y purchas足 ed in 1889 fro m Stephen Purdy by John Van Wyc k, a shipbuilde r w ho lived on nearby Bayvi ew Avenue. The decorative scrollwo rk and por ch es th e width of th e hou se convey a picturesque im age at a modest sca le. Th ey we re perhaps intend足 ed as beachsid e summer residences. Van Wyck also own ed property on both sides of toda y 's Van Wyck Avenue. The one story bun galow s that line both sides as we ll as those on Marsch er Pla ce wer e built in th e early 20th cen tury and su ggest eve n mor e the resort and recreat ion al h istory of Prince's Bay. Note especiall y the two story cruciform cottage on the west side of Van Wyck Avenue just ar ound the corner from these .

9. 486 Holten Avenue Although this 1880s Stick Style house has been covered with modern siding, many of its original wooden details ca n still be see n.

Typical of th e style are th e four bra ckets under th e eaves of th e front gabl e end , the decorative wo odwork here, and the fancy scrolled cut of the expose d raft er ends in front an d alon g both sid es of th e hou se.

Also attr active is the first floor bay window with the sm aller brac ke ts under the rooflin e. Owned in th e 1880s by J.A. Qu inn , it was in the possession of the Johnston s by 1898 .

10 . 474 Holten Avenue This hous e, also built in th e 1880 s, has a differ ent sh ap e th an 486 Holt en, but has th e same typ e of exposed raft er ends with fan cy scrolled cut - in dicating that th ey may sh are th e sam e builder. By the 1890s, it was ow ned by Jam es Carbage .

11. Wolfe's Pond Park, to right of Holten Avenue Off to the right of Holt en Avenue bar ely visible through the tr ees in the su m me r is 54

Wolfe's Pond , which like Arbutu s Lak e a littl e beyond thi s, or iginally was an inl et th at wa s later damned up . The h istory of thi s park area , once a prosp er ous 18th century farm, is lin ked to th at of the Qu ar antin e, es ta blishe d in Tompkinsv ille in 1799 as a det aining faci lity for persons wit h con tagi ou s diseas es ente ring New York Harbo r. After rep eat ed co mplai nts and public hearings in the 1840s and 1850s ab out int oler able co nd itions such as the spread of dis ease to the neighboring area and terribl e odo rs from th e burying grounds, the com missione rs in ch arge selected this p rop er ty at Seguine 's Point as a temporary site for the Qu arantine before pickin g a fin al new locati on . Stat en Island ers, fea r ing tha t th e Wolf e farm site migh t prove to be perman ent , made their feeling s know n by burning all the bu ildings and a costly new pier here on May 6, 1857.

Th e com missio ne rs then co ntin ue d to use th e old Quarantine site in Tompkinsville, but aft er a year Stat en Islanders again took th e law into th eir ow n hands. On the even足 in gs of Septe m be r 1 and 2, 1858, th ey removed all inma tes and burned the Quarantine buildings to the ground. Neve r足 th e-les s, burials of victims of co ntagious dise ases continued at Wolfe's Pond until th e 1890s.

Today the old Wolfe Farm is a public park with pi cn ic area s, playing field s, boat ing, and an ample parking lot . Th e flat grassy ar eas o n thi s sid e of th e pond ar e al so pleasant for picnicing if you've brought along your lunch on th is tour. If n ot, y ou m ight want to stop for refreshm ents at " Th e Annex," a pleasant bar and grill on the co rn er of Holten Avenue a nd Purdy Pla ce .

12. 51 Wilbur Place Th e sty le and size of th is v ery larg e Second Empire hou se with its mansard roof is very unusual for Prin ce's Bay, as is its lat e dat e . Maps sho w th at it was built in the 1890s , a good 10 to 15 ye ar s aft er this style reach ed its height of popularity on Staten Island . Th e porch and roofing ar e modern , but th e clapboard s and bri ck ch im ne y on the left remain intact.

13 . 449 Seguine Avenue Many fea tures of thi s lovely 1880s Stick Style hou se orig ina lly owned by th e Johnston broth ers mat ch those of 486 Holten Avenue (#9 on to ur ), indicating that it was probably built by th e same builder.

Note the exac t same ve rtica l boards with scalloped edges and four brackets in the gable ends, same scroll cu t of the exposed rafter ends, and bay window in front. The large wooden addition to the rea r is sligh tly later - its scrolled brackets under the eaves are m uch smalle r and more com pac t than the stick-like brac kets of the main par t of th e hou se .

14 .433 Seguine Avenue Built in the 1890s, th is Qu een Anne style hou se features the pointed attic wind ow so typical of the southern end of Staten Island .

Other interesting details to note are th e turned por ch posts , decor ative brackets , and the angled end of the win g on th e right hand side with the origina l fan cy cu t shingles on th e second floor. An 1898 map shows that th is hou se was th en ow ned by Jam es Par khurst.

15. Old Richmond Memorial Hospital building, northeast corner Seguine Avenue and Melville Street Bringing us clos er to th e present and the end of th e tour is Richmon d Memorial Hospital , the first hosp it al in this pa rt of the island . Th e ma in bui lding was co nstr ucted in 1935 as the cornersto ne to the

left reveal s. It, th e matching buildings across th e stree t and th e slick mod ern add ition near Keat ing Street p ro vide qu ite a cont rast to th e earlier 17th , 18th , and 19th ce n tury buildin gs see n on thi s tour , an d indi cat e th e inc reasing resi de n tial p opulation of th e South Sho re during th e 20th ce ntury. Although simple brick bu ildin gs, th e old hospi tal complex has a few decora tive elemen ts worth noting. Th e main U-shaped building has a pleasin g co ur tya rd . Above the fro nt do or is an arched fIoorie ngth wi ndow with limeston e surro u nd opening on to a small w ro ugh t iron balcon y. And a bo ve that are three lim est on e insets wi th a quatre-foil pattern (imparting a Gothic touch] , also found in th e right wing above the second floor middl e window with its elaborate limestone surround with br oken arch pediment.

Ed gin g th e top of the building are terra cotta tiles, one row facin g up and another row on top faci ng down, creating an in ter esting patt ern .

END OF TO UR To re turn to th e Staten Island ferr y , cont in ue wa lking up Seguine Avenue to Hylan Boul evard . Th e S-103 bu s stop is on thi s corne r to your right. You ca n also walk an extra ha lf mi le further up Segui ne Ave nu e to th e Prince 's Bay tra in statio n .

Th e northbound platform is reached by th e s ta irs just bef o re th e ra ilroad track overpass.

Lighthouse, Prince's Bay, c. 1910, W. J. Grimshaw, photographer, SIlAS.

55

Bankrupt St. Vinny's puts S.I. assets on block | Crain's New York Business

Page 1 of 2

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Article can be found at http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20110615/REAL_ESTATE/110619924

Bankrupt St. Vinny's puts S.I. assets on block Staten Island campus could fetch $34 million; biggest piece is a 300-bed, skilled nursing and rehabilitative care facility that provides long-term care.

By Barbara Benson Published: June 15, 2011 - 1:00 pm Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers is set to sell off more of its assets in a proposed $34 million deal. The bankrupt health system has already shed most of its former operations. After putting in place a deal to sell its West Village campus to the Rudin family, the company is now tackling the sale of its Staten Island campus.

In July, it plans to put on the auction block substantially all of the assets of the Sisters of Charity Health Care System Nursing Home, which does business as St. Elizabeth Ann's Health Care & Rehabilitation Center. It is located at 91 Tompkins Ave. on Staten Island. St. Elizabeth Ann's is a 300-bed, skilled nursing and rehabilitative care facility that provides long-term care, highly specialized sub-acute, neuro-behavioral, and AIDS-related services.

St. Vincent's also is seeking court approval of a complex leasing deal. The health system hopes to lease the land, building, and equipment related to its Bayley Seton campus, which is adjacent to St. Elizabeth Ann's.

St. Vincent's no longer has operations at the campus. But Richmond University Medical Center has a lease that expires in December for some parts of the premises, while St. Elizabeth Ann's uses space for 72 neuro-behavioral beds.

St. Vincent's has a strong motivation to get the Staten Island site off its books. Much of the Bayley Seton campus consists of empty buildings and poorly maintained landscaping that are unsuitable for any commercial use without a significant investment being made to redevelop the property. The campus also is heated by an outdated heating system that is inefficient to operate. Even with the rental income from Richmond University hospital, the health system loses more than $2 million on the site annually, including the cost of a maintenance staff to operate the large campus.

The Bayley Seton campus also has been the subject of several environmental assessments and investigations since 2004. They relate to everything from spills from underground fuel storage tanks and a chemical waste/sewer line. Hazardous materials investigations performed in November 2006 revealed the presence of asbestos-containing material, mold, lead-based paint, PCBs and other biological concerns in all of the buildings. St. Vincent's said in court papers that if it can transfer the Bayley Seton campus to a purchasers for the assumption of carrying costs and the environmental liabilities, that alone “provides meaningful consideration� to the bankrupt system.

The Bayley Seton campus historically was used by patients covered by the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan, a military health plan serving active-duty dependents, retirees and their families. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. St. Vincent's hasn't yet determined whether the transfer of the Bayley Seton campus will be included in any transfer of the Uniformed Services plan to a new operator. For that reason, the hospital system structured a lease deal so that it has the flexibility to continue owning the Bayley Seton Campus, while eliminating the administrative costs of maintaining the site.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20110615&Kategori=REAL_... 6/15/2011

Bankrupt St. Vinny's puts S.I. assets on block | Crain's New York Business

Page 2 of 2

The process St. Vincent's is using to auction off the Staten Island assets is the same it used to divest its former nursing home operations in Brooklyn. It chose a stalking horse bidder: SV Operating Three—the nursing home buyer—and SV Land Three, the real estate purchaser. The newly-formed entities are controlled by nursing home operator Kenneth Rozenberg, who controls about 10 nursing homes in the New York area. The purchase prices are $15 million for the real estate and $19 million for St. Elizabeth Ann's.

If the Rozenberg entities are outbid at the auction, St. Vincent's will pay the stalking horse bidder a break-up fee of $680,000, or 2% of the cash purchase price. The hospital system said that while the stalking horse bid is a package deal, it will consider separate bids for either the nursing home or campus as long as the sales prices are higher than $34 million.

Entire contents Š2011 Crain Communications Inc.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20110615&Kategori=REAL_... 6/15/2011

NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

CHAPTER 1: PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1.1

Introduction

1.1.1 Project Overview The Proposed Action is located in the Stapleton section of Staten Island, within Community Board 1 (see Figure 1-1). The area subject to the Proposed Action (the Project Area) is comprised of the former U.S. Navy Homeport site and adjacent properties and is generally bounded by the U.S. Pierhead line to the east, the Staten Island Railway (SIR) tracks and Bay Street to the west, Hannah Street to the north and the Front/Bay/Edgewater Street intersection to the south (see Figure 1-2).

The Proposed Action, outlined in detail in Section 1.2, “Description of the Proposed Action,” includes rezoning and the creation of the Special Stapleton Waterfront District (SSWD), street mapping/demapping, disposition of City-owned property, capital funding, and permits. Implementation of the Proposed Action will require review and approval of several discretionary actions pursuant to the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).

Situated along Staten Island’s North Shore, the Stapleton waterfront including the Project Area was a port and industrial area during the late 19th through mid-20th centuries.

Utilization of the waterfront declined in later years and in 1983, the Navy proposed to establish the Staten Island Homeport along the Stapleton waterfront as part of a system of 21 homeport facilities around the country. The approximately 35-acre port facility was constructed in the early 1990s at a cost of approximately $200 million in federal funds, in order to berth and provide support services for a small fleet of Naval vessels. The Homeport was decommissioned in 1994 as part of a series of base closings nationwide.

The former Homeport facility (the Homeport Site) is generally bounded by the extension of St. Julian Place to the north, Front Street to the west, the extension of Vanderbilt Avenue to the south and the U.S. Pierhead line to the east. The Homeport Site currently contains eight buildings with approximately 330,500 square feet of space, and an approximately three-acre, 1,410 foot-long concrete pier (see Figure 1-3). The Navy continues to use this pier, officially named USS The Sullivans Pier, on an occasional basis. Since the Homeport was decommissioned and the property transferred to the City, the following governmental uses were relocated there on an interim, temporary basis: New York City Police Department (NYPD) Staten Island Taskforce; New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Marine Company No. 9; New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Marine Repair Unit; and the Richmond County State Supreme Court. The Homeport Site also contains fuel oil storage tanks, electrical substations, and heating and cooling facilities that were developed to support its former Navy use.

1-1

September 2006

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NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

1.1.2 Purpose and Need Since the closure of the Homeport facility and its transfer to the City in 1994, there have been several unsuccessful plans and proposals for the redevelopment of the site. In April 2003, Mayor Bloomberg established the Mayor's Homeport Task Force (HTF), comprised of key City officials, local elected representatives and business and community leaders, to develop a workable plan for the Homeport that made economic sense and was supported by the Stapleton community and the borough as a whole.

The HTF and a consultant team collaborated on a three-phase planning process that led to development of the New Stapleton Waterfront Development Plan (the Plan). In Phase I, the team identified job creation, connection to the Stapleton community, public access to the waterfront, improved transportation and the creation of a new destination as key goals of the plan. A planning and market analysis of the existing site was presented at a public forum in November 2003. In Phase II, three alternative development scenarios were examined; a harbor park concept, a cultural destination and a neighborhood scenario.

These scenarios were presented to the public in February 2004.

The final mixed-use plan, which incorporates elements of the three alternatives, was developed in Phase III and presented publicly in May 2004 as the Plan. The Plan calls for the Homeport Site to be developed with a mix of uses including residential, a restaurant/banquet facility, sports complex, limited ground-floor retail, farmers market, and commercial space.

The final Plan also calls for key public improvements in tandem with the mixed-use development, including the creation of a waterfront esplanade, public open space, roadway reconstruction, and demolition of most of the existing buildings on the Homeport Site to make way for new development and public improvements. The City of New York allocated $66 million in capital funds over four years in order to implement the public improvements. The related design work is now underway.

Project Objectives Historically, the downtown area of Stapleton along Bay Street and around Tappen Park was one of Staten Island’s main business and shopping hubs. However, with the commercial and residential growth of other parts of Staten Island over the past several decades, Stapleton and its neighboring communities on the North Shore declined economically and experienced demographic shifts. More recently there have been some encouraging signs of area reinvestment, with new businesses opening and pockets of new development.

The Stapleton waterfront has been identified as a community asset that has a strong potential for spurring area economic growth. The Plan, which resulted from a process that gave strong consideration to community planning, urban design and economics, was developed in order to leverage this community asset. The Plan envisions a waterfront development project that creates jobs while promoting area economic development. In tandem with economic goals, the Plan also seeks to establish a new public waterfront asset that is accessible by and connected to the Stapleton community.

1-5

September 2006

NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

The market analysis completed as part of the planning process identified key economic issues facing the downtown area of Stapleton that the Plan seeks to address. Retail rental rates were found to be lower than many areas of Staten Island, but vacancy rates in some stretches have nonetheless historically approached 50 percent. The turnover rate for businesses was also found to be fairly high, with many surviving only a short time.

These indicators point to a struggling commercial area. On the residential side, while Staten Island overall has seen an increase in population, an annual increase in singlefamily home values and a solid amount of new construction and investment, Stapleton has lagged behind. The housing market in Stapleton has a low homeownership rate, a high vacancy rate and a lower than average median home value.

The Proposed Action is intended to help address these issues by providing a mixed-use waterfront destination with strong connections to the Stapleton community. The mix of uses envisioned in the Plan would be complementary to Stapleton. One example is the limited amount of retail proposed for the Homeport Site. Retail needs of the future visitors and residents at the Homeport Site would continue to be met on Bay Street and the Tappen Park area of Stapleton.

The physical planning related to the Plan focused on east-west connections between the Homeport Site and Stapleton, and north-south connections along the waterfront. The five east-west blocks between Thompson and Wave Streets provide direct community connection to the Homeport Site; however, the substandard roadway conditions and elevated SIR tracks that cross these blocks were identified as barriers. To address these issues, roadway and streetscape improvements are proposed along these blocks, and the design of Homeport Site treats three of these blocks as visual corridors that link directly to the waterfront. Rezoning of the area between Front Street and the SIR tracks would also encourage development that replaces existing vacant and underutilized properties and helps connect the Homeport Site to Stapleton. To address north-south connections, the entire length of Front Street would be reconstructed and upgraded, and a continuous waterfront esplanade would be created that would connect to the proposed North Shore Esplanade, a separate project now in design between the Homeport Site and St. George.

Scale and density of new development was also an important issue identified by the community. As a result, the proposed rezoning provides controls that would ensure that private development between Front Street and the SIR tracks and proposed development on the Homeport Site complements the existing built character and does not obstruct views from the upland. Finally, the proximity of the SIR Stapleton station and several bus routes was seen as an opportunity to create transit-oriented development on the Homeport Site and reduce reliance on auto travel.

1.2

Description of the Proposed Action

As detailed below, the Proposed Action is comprised of rezoning and the creation of the SSWD, street mapping/demapping, property disposition and permitting actions on, and adjacent to, the Homeport Site. The Project Area is generally bounded by the SIR tracks 1-6

September 2006

NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT and Bay Street to the west, Hannah Street to the north, the U.S. Pierhead line to the east and the Front/Bay/Edgewater Street intersection to the south. The Proposed Action consists of the following basic elements:

Zoning map amendment to change the underlying zoning from M2-1 and M3-1 to C4-2A, and to map the SSWD (ULURP No. C 060471 ZMR);

Zoning text amendment to establish the SSWD (ULURP No. C 060468 ZRR);

City map amendments (mapping and demapping of streets) (ULURP No. C 060293 MMR); and

Disposition of City-owned property (business terms for sale or lease of development parcels to private entities) (ULURP No. C 060469 PPR and (ULURP No. C 060470 PPR).

Each component of the Proposed Action is described below, followed by a description of the development and public improvements expected to result from these actions.

1.2.1 Rezoning and Establishing the Special Stapleton Waterfront District The Proposed Action includes zoning map and text amendments to establish the SSWD, and to rezone the area to a C4-2A district from the existing M2-1 and M3-1 zoning districts (see Figure 1-4). The rezoning area is generally bounded by the approximate extension of St. Julian Place to the north, the SIR tracks to the west, the prolongation of Greenfield Avenue to the south and the U.S. Pierhead line to the east (the Rezoning Area). The Homeport Site is located within this area. Figure 1-5 illustrates the proposed boundaries of the Rezoning Area and SSWD. Tax lots that comprise the Rezoning Area and SSWD are listed in Table 1-1 below and illustrated in Figure 1-6.

Table 1-1: Proposed Rezoning Area and Special District — Block and Lot List Rezoning Area and Special District Block Lot 487 100 (partial lot), 110 489 25 490 24, 26, 37, 45 491 29, 32, 37, 41, 42, 46 492 29, 31 493 12 494 18, 19, 21, 24, 30 2820 95 (partial lot), 105 Rezoning Area Only Block Lot 496 215, 275 2820 1 Source: New York City Department of City Planning

1-7

September 2006

Legend C4-2A Proposed Rezoning Action Rezoning Area

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New Stapleton Waterfront Development Plan FEIS

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NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT The proposed C4-2A underlying zoning district is a contextual district for smaller downtown areas, in which the height, placement, and scale of new buildings are regulated so that they fit the character of the existing neighborhood. The Stapleton town center, including the Tappen Park area, is zoned C4-2 and is marked by its street-wall development, ground-floor retail, and low-rise buildings. The proposed zoning of C4-2A would permit redevelopment of the Homeport Site so that it is compatible with the character and scale of the upland portions of Stapleton.

The SSWD has been designed to promote and protect public health, safety and general welfare. Its general goals include: (a) Encourage design of new development that is in character with the neighborhood and surrounding community; (b) Maintain and reestablish physical and visual public access to and along the waterfront; (c) Strengthen the traditional town center of Stapleton by allowing the development of new residential and commercial uses; (d) Encourage the creation of a lively and attractive environment that will provide daily amenities and services for the use and enjoyment of the working population and the new residents; (e) Take maximum advantage of the beauty of the New York Harbor waterfront, thereby best serving the business community, the residential population and providing regional recreation as well; and (f) Promote the most desirable use of land and thus conserve and enhance the value of land and buildings, and thereby protect City tax revenues.

The SSWD would change some of the underlying zoning requirements and introduce new requirements. The maximum allowable floor area ratio (FAR)1 for residential and commercial uses in a C4-2A district is 3.0; however, the SSWD would limit the maximum allowable FAR to 2.0 for all uses. For residential use, the SSWD would modify the underlying C4-2A zoning district with an R6B residential equivalent. This is a special equivalency for the SSWD (normally R6A is the residential equivalent in C42A). R6B General Residence zoning districts allow for low-rise buildings with greater lot coverage. The maximum allowable FAR in an R6B district is 2.0, and there are parking requirements. The maximum lot coverage for corner lots is 80 percent, which decreases to 60 percent for interior or through-lots. Typical R6B residential uses include four-story row houses or apartment buildings. R6B residential development must comply with requirements of the Quality Housing Program, which include planted buffers between buildings and streets, minimum open space requirements, screened parking lots and no parking between the street wall and street line. To maintain street life and retail 1

Floor area ratio is defined in the Zoning Resolution as the total floor area on a zoning lot divided by the lot area of that zoning lot.

1-11

September 2006

NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT corridors, the special district would require ground-floor commercial or community facility uses in select locations. However, the ground-floor retail and/or community facility space would not be counted as part of the 2.0 FAR. The SSWD would also provide for certain area-specific measures. These measures include, but are not limited to, requiring non-residential ground floor uses for new development at select locations; establishing a maximum building height of 50 feet for most uses; and obviating waterfront zoning requirements and in lieu establishing special requirements for visual corridors and upland connections. As illustrated in Figure 1-5, the SSWD would be divided into eight sub-areas: six development parcels (A and B1 through B5), the area west of Front Street (Area C), and public open space (waterfront esplanade, Pier Place, and the Cove). Refer to Chapter 3, “Land Use, Zoning, and Public Policy,” for a more detailed description of the proposed rezoning and SSWD requirements.

As described in greater detail in subsequent chapters of the FEIS, the proposed zoning map amendments include the placement of an (E) Designation on several tax lots identified as development sites and expected to be redeveloped as a result of the Proposed Action. An (E) Designation would be placed on the amended New York City Zoning Map to denote certain parcels where the Proposed Action has the potential to result in significant adverse hazardous materials or noise impacts. The (E) Designation would ensure that these properties would not be redeveloped unless necessary remedial measures are implemented. See Chapter 12, “Hazardous Materials,” and Chapter 19, “Noise,” for further information regarding (E) Designations.

1.2.2 City Map Amendments In order to improve vehicular and pedestrian circulation, several street mapping/demapping actions streets are included as part of the Proposed Action. Figure 1-7 illustrates the street mapping/demapping actions.

The Proposed Action includes the mapping of the streets listed below, with street widths in parentheses. All streets are built but not mapped. As noted previously, the alignment of Front Street would be changed from its existing built alignment in order to improve safety and better relate to proposed development on the Homeport Site. The other listed streets would be mapped within their existing built alignments.

Front Street, (50 to 70 feet wide) between Hannah Street and Bay Street;

Baltic Street, (40 to 60 feet wide) between Bay Street and Front Street;

Sands Street, (45 feet wide) between Bay Street and the SIR tracks;

Prospect Street, (45 feet wide) between Bay Street and Front Street;

Cross Street, (45 feet wide) between Bay Street and the SIR tracks;

Water Street, (45 feet wide) between Bay Street and Front Street; and

Canal Street, (56 feet wide) between Bay Street and Front Street.

1-12

September 2006

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NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT The Proposed Action includes the demapping of the following unbuilt streets:

Murray Hulbert Avenue, (45 feet wide) between north and south exits of Hannah Street; and

Marginal Street or Wharf or Place, (width varies) between Hannah Street and the extension of Greenfield Avenue and between the SIR tracks and the U.S. Pierhead Line.

The Proposed Action includes the elimination of the unmapped (record) streets listed below. Only Front Street is an existing built street.

Murray Hulbert Avenue, (width varies) between Hannah Street and Edgewater Street;

Front Street (40 to 60 feet wide), between Murray Hulbert and Bay Street. This action allows for the mapping of Front Street as listed above.

Lastly, a portion of Thompson Street (50 feet wide) would be realigned at the intersection of Front Street and Thompson Street.

1.2.3 Disposition of Property The Proposed Action includes the disposition of City-owned property from the New York City Department of Small Business Services (DSBS) to the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to facilitate the eventual sale or lease of development sites in the Project Area to private entities. The following sites are included as part of the proposed disposition:

The six development parcels located on the Homeport Site (Parcels A, B1 through B5);

Two irregularly-shaped parcels, one located north of Wave Street between Front Street and the SIR tracks (identified as Projected Development Site C7 on Figure 1-8), and one south of Thompson Street between Front Street and the SIR tracks (Projected Development Site C8). These sites are required to allow for flexibility as the Homeport Site redevelops, and are expected to be developed with vehicle parking facilities.

Up to 10,000 square feet within the public area of the Homeport Site to allow for the development of uses that would compliment and enliven the public area and overall Project Area, including a restaurant/café, boat house and/or retail kiosks.2

2

This is referred to elsewhere in the document as 10,000 square feet of accessory uses associated with the 12 acres of public open space that would be created on the Homeport Site under the Proposed Action (see Figure 1.8).

1-14

September 2006

NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

1.2.4 Related Actions Capital Funding Approval of City capital funds would be required to finance the construction of the Public Improvements associated with the Proposed Action, including the public esplanade, opens spaces, roadway infrastructure and other related capital items.

Permits Permits from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) would be necessary to perform work in or near tidal wetlands which may be located within the Project Area (e.g., for the development of the Cove) and to stabilize portions of the shoreline.

1.2.5 Homeport Site Development Allowed by the actions discussed above, and pursuant to the New Stapleton Waterfront Development Plan, six development parcels on the Homeport Site would be developed with a mix of uses including residential, a restaurant/banquet facility, sports complex, limited ground-floor retail, farmers market, and commercial space. The development parcels would be disposed of by the City for private development as the result of an RFP process. Following are descriptions of the parcels and the expected development program, as exhibited in Figure 1-8:

Parcel A: Located in the northern portion of the Homeport Site, Parcel A is generally bounded by the extension of St. Julian Place to the north, the extension of Grant Street to the south, the SIR tracks to the west and Front Street to the east.

The site, approximately 4.70 acres in size, is expected to contain a 131,250square-foot (125-unit) residential development with parking for 140 vehicles.

Parcel B1: Also located in the northern portion of the Homeport Site, Parcel B1 is generally bounded by the extension of Grant Street to the north, the extension of Baltic Street to the south, Front Street to the west, and the proposed public open space to the east. This approximately 3.55-acre site is expected to contain up to a 60,000-square-foot restaurant/banquet hall facility with parking for 500 cars.

While the exact site configuration is not known at this time, a parking structure could be incorporated into the development of this parcel. For purposes of environmental review, it is assumed that the site plan for Parcel B1 will include a two-story parking structure located at the northern end of the site.

Parcel B2: Located roughly in the center of the Homeport Site, Parcel B2 is generally bounded by the extension of Wave Street to the north, the extension of Prospect Street to the south, Front Street to the west, and the proposed public open space to the east. This site, approximately 3.48 acres in size, is expected to contain up to a 75,000-square-foot sports complex, 5,000 square feet of retail, and parking for 130 vehicles.

Parcel B3: Also located roughly in the center of the Homeport Site, just south of parcel B2, Parcel B3 is generally bounded by the extension of Prospect Street to the north, the extension of Water Street to the south, Front Street to the west, and the proposed public open space to the east. This site, approximately 3.54 acres in 1-15

September 2006

NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT size, is expected to contain a 131,250-square-foot (125-unit) residential development, a 10,000-square-foot farmers market, 25,000 square feet of local retail, and parking for 220 vehicles. ƒ

Parcel B4: Located in the southern portion of the Homeport Site, Parcel B4 is generally bounded by the extension of Canal Street to the north, the extension of Dock Street to the south, Front Street to the west, and the proposed public open space to the east. This approximately 3.16-acre site is expected to contain approximately 75,000 square feet of commercial space and 175 parking spaces.

ƒ

Parcel B5: Also located in the southern portion of the Homeport Site, Parcel B5 is generally bounded by the extension of Dock Street to the north, the extension of Harrison Street to the south, Front Street to the west, and the proposed public open space to the east. This site, approximately 2.37 acres in size, is expected to contain a 105,000-square-foot (100-unit) residential development with 120 parking spaces.

See Figures 1-9 through 1-11 for photographs of the development parcels.

1.2.6 Public Improvements The overarching principles governing the design of the esplanade, open spaces and roadway include promoting a cultural integrity with Staten Island, creating sociable, safe spaces conducive to as many activities as possible, re-using demolished building materials from the site for new construction, creating environments that foster habitation by wildlife, and best management practices for storm water capture and treatment.

Public Open Space The design of the Homeport Site includes a continuous waterfront esplanade and two major public open spaces that would accommodate a mix of active and passive uses.

While design of the open space is currently in progress, the images shown in Figure 1-12 offer conceptual renderings of the proposed public areas. The waterfront esplanade would be approximately 100 feet wide and would run generally between the extension of Swan Street to the north to the extension of Greenfield Avenue to the south.

The two public open spaces, which would provide physical connections between the esplanade and Front Street, are known as Pier Place and the Cove. Pier Place, located at the base of the USS The Sullivans Pier, is envisioned as a large green space with grass areas, native ornamental and marsh plantings, extensive seat walls, and paved areas. This open space is envisioned as a lively area that would serve as the focal point for development on parcels B1 and B2, the restaurant/banquet facility and sports complex, respectively.

1-16

September 2006

YS E ST

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Homeport Site Development Parcel B1: View facing south towards existing Homeport Site Building 6.

New Stapleton Waterfront Development Plan FEIS Existing Conditions Photographs The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

Figure 1-9

Homeport Site Development Parcel B3: View facing north towards existing Homeport Site Building 3.

Homeport Site Development Parcel B2: View facing northwest towards existing Homeport Site Buildings 1a, 1b and 1c.

New Stapleton Waterfront Development Plan FEIS Existing Conditions Photographs The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

Figure 1-10

Homeport Site Development Parcel B4: View facing north towards existing Homeport Site Building 2.

Homeport Site Development Parcel B5: View facing south towards existing Homeport Site Guardhouse.

New Stapleton Waterfront Development Plan FEIS Existing Conditions Photographs The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

Figure 1-11

New Stapleton Waterfront Development Plan FEIS

Proposed Public Open Space Conceptual Renderings The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

Figure 1-12

NEW STAPLETON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Design of the Cove, which would be located between the extensions of Canal and Water Streets, calls for the removal of an existing collapsed relieving platform, thereby exposing an approximately 42,000-square-foot area of open water at high tide. The water area of the Cove would be bordered by public area that could include a boat house, kayak launch and cafĂŠ with outdoor dining which would help to activate the open space. The edges of this area would be formed using gabion walls and stepped concrete slabs, with both upland plantings and varied wetland environments to promote a broad range of aquatic flora and fauna.

A private drive would be established in the area between Pier Place and the Cove to provide year-round public access and improved public safety along the waterfront, while also buffering the public areas from development parcels B2 and B3.

The north and south ends of the Homeport Site would be developed as natural areas, with paths, seating, beach grass meadows and lower, tidal estuarine plantings. Landscaping would be low-lying in these areas to allow for broad views of the bay and Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and the passing boat and ship traffic. A small 50- to 75-foot fishing pier is planned for the south end of the Project Area.

It should be noted that the Navy has berthing rights to the north side of the USS The Sullivans Pier for at least the next seven years. Since its future use is unknown at this time, the Pier, while part of the Special District, currently is not part of the redevelopment plan.

Roadway The existing Front Street is a substandard roadway that lacks sidewalks and adequate lighting along its route between Hannah Street to the north and its intersection with Edgewater and Bay Streets to the south. Front Street also lacks stormwater sewers, resulting in recurrent drainage problems and flooding during rainfalls.

As part of the Proposed Action, Front Street would be realigned to improve vehicle safety and provide a better relationship with the proposed development and public areas on the Homeport Site. The design for the new Front Street includes two moving lanes, two parking lanes, a bicycle lane, sidewalks, lighting, tree planting and other streetscape elements. In addition, full sewer infrastructure would be established to address existing drainage problems, and electrical, gas and water supply would be provided.

As noted, one of the goals of the Proposed Action is to establish a connection between the upland Stapleton community and new development on the Homeport Site. To meet that end, the five streets that link Bay and Front Streets and cross under the elevated SIR tracks (from north to south, Wave, Prospect, Water, Canal and Thompson Streets) are also proposed for roadway and streetscape improvements including new sidewalks, lighting, tree planting and other elements. The mapping actions described below also include the proposed extension of Baltic Street from Bay Street to Front Street. This mapping could provide an additional future connection to the Stapleton community.

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1.3

Development Framework

1.3.1 Reasonable Worst-Case Development Scenario Developers for the Homeport Site parcels have not been identified and future private development between Front Street and the SIR tracks as a result of the proposed rezoning is not known. However, in order to allow the EIS analysis to be completed, a reasonable worst-case development scenario (RWCDS) has been developed. Without a reasonable future development scenario, it would not be possible to assess the range of effects that might occur as a result of the Proposed Action. In developing this scenario, the City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Technical Manual was consulted and reasonable, worst-case assumptions were made based on known development proposals and current market demand in order to identify the likely extent and location of future residential, commercial and community facility growth. Tax lots that comprise the Project Area are listed in Table 1-2, and illustrated in Figure 1-6.

Table 1-2: Project Area — Block and Lot List Homeport Site Block 487

Lot 110 Projected Development Sites

Block 489 490 491 491 493 494 Block 492 494 Block 487 496 2820

Lot 25 24, 26, 37, 45 (and the bed of Sands Street) 29, 37, 41, 42, 46 32 12 18, 19, 21, 30 Potential Development Sites Lot 29, 31 24 Other Project Area Lots Lot 100 (partial lot) 215, 275 1, 95 (partial lot), 105

Source: New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Analysis Year Although the Proposed Action affects the entire Project Area, the analysis of changes to allowable use and bulk and other land use provisions focuses on those sites that are reasonably likely to undergo development by the Proposed Action’s Build Year (2015).

The Homeport Site is expected to be fully developed within this timeframe. For the area between Front Street and the SIR tracks, the ten-year “Build” period is the timeframe that 1-23

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Projected and Potential Development With the exception of Parcel B4 on the Homeport Site, where future use is not known to the same degree as the other development parcels, the proposed development on the Homeport Site has been determined. As a result, assumptions have been made regarding the reasonable worst-case use for Parcel B4 as well as for the portion of the proposed Rezoning Area between Front Street and the SIR tracks.

To determine the RWCDS for the area between Front Street and the SIR tracks associated with the zoning actions, specific sites were identified that are most likely to be developed over time, based on a set of criteria. The criteria for identifying specific development sites include size, current utilization and land use, site accessibility, ownership patterns and the opportunity for assemblages and transfer of development rights from adjacent properties. Many sites meet one or more of the criteria. The sites more likely to experience redevelopment were selected from among this group, based primarily on size, location, and degree of utilization. These sites, which are reasonably likely to undergo development within the foreseeable ten-year timeframe, are called “Projected Development Sites.” Other sites with smaller footprints and less potential for redevelopment or conversion are identified as “Potential Development Sites.” These sites are unlikely to be developed within the ten-year timeframe and are discussed qualitatively in the EIS. Please see Chapter 2, “Analytical Framework,” for a detailed discussion of the Projected and Potential Development Sites.

The mix of uses envisioned under the RWCDS totals approximately 961,200 square feet of development, of which approximately 617,500 square feet is associated with Homeport Site and 343,700 square feet with the remaining Project Area (between Front Street and the SIR tracks, and Wave and Thompson Streets). The breakdown of uses is listed in Table 1-3. The area between Front Street and the SIR tracks includes two irregular City-owned parcels identified as C7 and C8 on Figure 1-8. These sites are required to allow for flexibility as the Homeport Site redevelops. As part of the RWCDS, these sites are assumed to contain parking.

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Table 1-3: Reasonable Worst-Case Development Scenario Homeport Site Development* Residential 367,500 square feet (350 Units) Restaurant & Banquet Hall 60,000 square feet Sports Complex 75,000 square feet Local Retail 30,000 square feet Farmers Market 10,000 square feet Commercial Office 75,000 square feet Accessory Parking 1,285 spaces Total 617,500 square feet plus accessory parking Rezoning Area between Front Street and SIR tracks Residential 300,000 square feet (288 Units) Retail 43,700 square feet Parking 440 spaces Total 343,700 square feet plus accessory parking Project Area Total 961,200 square feet * Note that the RWCDS also assumes that the Homeport Site would contain approximately 522,720 square feet (12 acres) of public open space, with 10,000 square feet of associated accessory development.

Source: New York City Economic Development Corporation.

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