All about the Staten Island Neighborhood Port Richmond:
Staten Island is broken down into 14 different zip codes from 10301 to 10314 and into 67 different neighborhoods. Throughout this series of blogs, we will be discussing each and every neighborhood on Staten Island as well as breaking down the history, what stands there today and transportation and what community district it falls into. Staten Island is broken up into three different community districts which are: North Shore, Mid-Island, and South Shore.
Today we will be breaking down all the history about the Staten Island neighborhood, Port Richmond. This neighborhood is home to the North Shore and zip code 10302. Kill van Kull to the north, Jewett Avenue to the east, Forest Avenue to the south, and the Bayonne Bridge to the west define Port Richmond's boundaries. West New Brighton is to the east, Westerleigh is to the south, Elm Park is to the west, and Mariners Harbor is to the northwest.
It is one of the oldest neighborhoods on the island and was formerly a separate community. It served as a significant transportation and industrial hub for the island in the 19th century, but this function has almost entirely disappeared, leaving a predominantly working-class residential district that was not included in the island's growth after the 1960s. At the time, the once-bustling commercial district along Richmond Avenue which is now Port Richmond Avenue was virtually deserted, but since the late 20th century, several small companies have started operating there.
Giovanni da Verrazzano first documented white European encounters with Staten Island in 1524. Henry Hudson began trading with the Dutch in the region in 1609, and he gave the island the name Staaten Eylandt in honor of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament. A cemetery was built nearby at Port Richmond by settlers, and it served as the final resting place for people from northern Staten Island until 1696. Beginning with the Dutch Reformed Church that was erected there in the early 18th century, the settlement of Port Richmond developed around this cemetery.
Over the years, Port Richmond has gone under many different names. It was simply referred to as The Burial Place in the late 17th century. Later, the region went under other names, including Bristol, New Bristol, Irvington, Cyrene, and Cityville. These were the suggested names, but Port Richmond ultimately prevailed in 1866. Rev. Dr. James Brownlee of the Dutch Reformed Church gave the location the name "Port Richmond".
The Kull Van Kill made Port Richmond an ideal ferry launch from Staten Island to New Jersey. It served as a port of transition for goods and people taking boats from New York City to New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was once known as Mersereau's Point and is the portion of Staten Island that is closest to Port Elizabeth, New Jersey. Up until David Mersereau acquired both firms in the late 19th century, Ryers' and Hilleker's ferries were rivals. Up until a short time after the Bayonne Bridge was finished in 1931, ferries operated continuously. Additionally, the region became the location of a significant stop on a coach route connecting the city with Philadelphia.
The region served as an overnight coach stop between Philadelphia and New York City in the early 19th century. A public park was constructed in 1836. The region started to draw immigrants from Ireland and Germany in the middle of the 19th century. The sole whale oil processing facility was one of the businesses that were created in the region. Later, a linseed oil refinery that ran until the 20th century took its place. Other industries included a company that processed dyes, as well as lumber and coal yards. In the 1840s and 1850s, prosperous oyster boat captains erected homes on Richmond Terrace overlooking the Kill van Kull when oyster harvesting was a major industry along the mudflats in New York Harbor. Lumber and coal yards were among the businesses located along the shoreline.
After the completion of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the Staten Island Mall, the area saw a significant economic collapse in the second half of the 20th century, partly as a result of the relocation of development and commercial activity to the island's center. The Staten Island Railway's North Shore Branch, which connected the area to St. George and went through it, was mostly a freight line. Some railroads were utilized to transport troops during World War II. The Port Richmond station along Richmond, which is now Port Richmond Avenue, and the abandoned railway were left behind when this branch was discontinued in 1953. Throughout the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, many proposals for reviving this route as a Staten Island light rail line were considered.
Port Richmond is the site of the Castleton Bus Depot on Castleton Avenue and Jewett Avenue to Clove Road. Served by many local buses up and down all streets of Port Richmond including the S40, S44, S46, S48, S53, S54, S57, S59 and the S66. Limited stop buses include S89, S90, S94, S96 and S98. Express buses that serve the neighborhood as SIM3, SIM3C, SIM30, SIM35. The X13 and X16 buses ran through Port Richmond as well until budget cuts in 2010. Many schools from Elementary, Middle & High Schools serve the area as well.
As you may see, Staten Island exudes so much history that is still honored throughout our neighborhoods. Port Richmond is home to many people from Staten Island. The neighborhood is covered in every corner with many food spots, transportation, parks and schools. This neighborhood is worth learning more about and living.
Looking to buy or sell your home on Staten Island? For all your real estate needs, look no further than Tom Crimmins Realty! Give us a call at (718) 370-3200, and we can provide you with professionally-trained agents who are flexible to all that you’re looking for!
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