Tom Crimmins Realty Blog - history

Sports Park

In 1907, Moritz and Elsa Glauber owned 35-acres of land. That land now consists of Sports Park, Toad Hall Playground, and Todt Hill Houses. The City obtained the property in 1958, as well as the Clove Lakes Expressway. 

"In February 1991, Parks signed a license agreement with Eagle Recreation Management for the construction and operation of a miniature golf course, batting cage, snack bar, and pro shop for a 10-year term. Playworld USA, Inc. temporarily operated the facility from the beginning of May 1998, to the very end of December 1998. The concessionaire is Staten Island Hockey. Under the terms of their contract, signed the following year, Staten Island Hockey refurbished the miniature golf course, installed new battings cage equipment, improved…

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Staten Island in the Early 1880s

September 1880 - Nation’s first lawn tennis tournament is played in New Brighton.  

Tennis was introduced to North America from Bermuda by Mary Outerbridge in March 1874. With the help of Outerbridge's brother, the first lawn tennis court was set up in West Brighton. “Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club” was set up and was located on an estate that was originally named Livingston Park.

The first national tennis tournament in America, the Davis Cup, was held at the club on September 1, 1880. In 1906, the club's name was changed to the Staten Island Cricket and Tennis Club, and changed a second time in 1931 to the Staten Island Cricket Club. In 1930, the city bought the estate and renamed the property Walker Park. Walker Park is in memory of…

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Staten Island in the 1860s

April 1864 — Staten Island Savings Bank is founded in Stapleton

Staten Island Savings Bank was founded by Francis George Shaw and numerous other men, as a mutual savings bank in 1864. The Savings Bank opened for business three years later and became Staten Island’s first successful bank.

For over it's first 60 years, Staten Island Savings Bank remained a local bank but as business continued to expand in the twentieth century, it began to open branches in other communities on the island. The first branch was opened in St. George in 1931. Branches in New Dorp, Castleton Corners and Grasmere followed years after.

March 17, 1865 — Pioneer photographer Elizabeth Alice Austen is born in Rosebank.

Alice Austen was one of America's earliest and most…

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Jan. 21, 1856 — Staten Island Historical Society forms

Staten Island Historical Society is an independent nonprofit cultural organization. The purpose of the Staten Island Historical Society is to provide the public exhibits of the American experience, referring to the colonial period to today.

The Society accomplished this by opening and operating Historic Richmond Town; Staten Island Historical Society's headquarters and offices are located in the heart of Historic RIchmond Town. Original Staten Island homes and buildings, like the Voorlezer's House, were moved and preserved to the area. Historic Richmond Town is a remarkable living history village and museum complex that evokes 350 years of the history and culture of New York City.

The Society also supports numerous publications, exhibitions,…

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Staten Island During 1830s

The opening of the Sailor's Snug Harbor kicked off Staten Island in the 1830s. This decade was developmental for the Island and paved way for the establishments we know today.

July 1837 - Richmond Co. Mirror is published.

Numerous other newspaper companies existed on the Island before the Advance; the first newspaper was the Richmond County Mirror in 1837. The paper covered topics in Manhattan and Staten Island. The founder was Francis L. Hagadorn, who was a son of a New York newspaper editor and an active General in the state militia.

Its slogan was: "a weekly paper printed on Staten Island, devoted to science, literature & news."

New Brighton housed the original offices until 1839, when it was decided to move to Stapleton. The last issue was…

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Von Briesen Park

Like White Playground, Von Briesen Park is located in Shore Acres near Fort Wadsworth. The park is on the property of Arthur Von Briesen, a German immigrant who later served in the Civil War. 

Von Briesen purchased this land in 1901; he named it “Gernda”, translating to “wishing to be there” in German. The property was originally an orchard and greenhouse and Von Briesen maintained it during his residency.

Von Briesen passed away in 1920 but his property wasn't donated to the Parks Department until 1949.  It was then that the home was demolished by the Parks Comissioner.  The park wasn't open to the public until 1949, no recreational facilities were added, City of New York Parks &…

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1831 — Sailors' Snug Harbor is established

Before Snug Harbor became a popular Island attraction for plays and art opening, its original intention (and location) was the opposite. Known as Sailors Snug Harbor, was built in 1801 as a home for retired sailors as per Captain Robert Richard Randall's will request.

His will stated the wish for "his Manhattan estate be used to start a marine hospital for 'aged, decrepit and worn-out seamen.'"

Snug Harbor was moved from Manhattan to Staten Island when Randall's relatives wanted to maximize land profits. As a result, Snug Harbor was relocated to Staten Island in 1831.

Sailor's Snug Harbor opened in 1833, with an initial 37 residents and over time expanded in population and buildings, including chapels and music halls.

In the 1960s a few of the…

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1817 - First motorized ferry on Staten Island

In 1817, a year after his election, Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins developed the first motorized ferry for the Richmond Turnpike Company, as a part of his created Tompkinsville. He financed the Turnpike Company himself. Tompkins first intensions was to create a highway across Staten Island. Before the motorized ferry, there were originally "two-masted sailingboats."

John De Forest was the first captain of this new motorized ferry, name the Nautilus, named after the Nautilus Hall. De Forest was the brother-in-law of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt bought the company in 1838 but sold it to his brother Jacob in the early 1860's when the American Civil War began.

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1776 - Staten Island Involvement in Revolutionary Era

George Washington landed on Staten Island and set up a look-out, at Fort Wadsworth, for the British arrival.  General Howe arrived in New York City on July 2nd, 1776.  His British troops were camped in Watering Place (Tompkinsville) to prepare for a battle against Washington.  However, British troops stalled and instead inforced Islanders to surrender their rights and sign allegiance to the King.

Howe and other American loyalist, including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, met up a few months later to discuss negotiations for peace.  The meeting took place on September 11, 1776 at the home of a British loyalist, Christopher Billopp.  The NYC Parks and Recreation states, "Lord Howe offered to end the conflict peacefully if the American colonies would…

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1815 - Tompkinsville is named after Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins

As some remember, street names on the island have been named after the Iroquois and Dutch settlements. Neighborhoods were named after predominant people.

Tompkinsville was founded in 1815 by Daniel D. Tompkins, the Governor of New York State at the time, after the Battle of Long Island. He established another ferry service to Manhattan in 1817, this became a part of the Richmond Turnpike Company. The turnpike allowed travelers to ride coach from the ferry across the Island and continue to New Jersey on another ferry. The turnpike, was originally located on Arietta Street in Tompkinsville; after World War I, it is now renamed Victory Boulevard. The Turnpike was purchased in 1838 by Cornelius Vanderbilt; the ferry was made part of NYC ferry operations in…

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