HISTORY OF THE BRONX IN GENERAL AND HOW TO FIND OLD FRIENDS
click on link to: BACK IN THE BRONX

A Walk through the Bronx Alex Ulham: www.thirteen.org/bronx/history.html 

Old photos at : www.nypldigital.com

NYC Parks Information: http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/ferrypointpark/capital

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History of the Community of Ferry Point Community

  www.ferrypointcivic.org  Catherine Poggi Archives of Ferry Point Civic Group est. 1963

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The history of Ferry Point Park is closely tied to the Construction of the Whitestone Bridge for the 1939 Worlds Fair held in Queens.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/transportation/td_fullsoundview.pdf

917-741-2768 call Dorothy Poggi Advocate

Ferry Point Park
Schley, Emerson Aves., Westchester Ck., E River, Bronx, NY
413.800 acres

1642  --  the land on which Ferry Point Park was built was part of the Throgmorton Grant

1850  --  shipping magnate Augustus diZerega and tobacco manufacturer Jacob Lorillard purchased the land.

1910-1939  --  ferry companies and the City of New York administered ferries that traveled between the Bronx and Queens, from Westchester Village to Whitestone and from Clason Point to College Point.

1916  -- the Catholic House of the Good Shepherd bought the land.

1930s  --  New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses planned a beach, bathhouse, and cafeteria complex for the area.  (The plan was never implemented.)

As part of the deal to build the Bronx Whitestone Bridge, two major recreational areas were developed:  Ferry Point Park in the Bronx and Francis Lewis Park in Queens. 

1937  --  the Parks Commission obtained jurisdiction over 171 acres for the Ferry Point Park. The city purchased the land from the Roman Catholic House of the Good Shepherd.

1939 - (April 29)  --  Bronx Whitestone Bridge opened to traffic.

1948   -- two pieces of land totaling 243 acres were acquired by condemnation.

1952-1970  -- sanitation filling began.

1960s  --  Ferry Point was closed because the old dump contained toxic chemicals (including possibly contaminated methane gas).

1999 (December 22)  --  in an unanimous vote the City Planning Commission approved a $22 million dollar project to build a 175-acre golf course at Ferry Point Park.  The golf course would  be designed by Jack Nicklaus under a 35-year lease to private investors. (The surrounding park was to have ballfields, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, basketball courts, and picnic grounds.)

2001  -- the date the golf course was expected to be completed.

Part of the golf course plan was to build a wall that would have cut off the east side of the park from the adjacent Throgs Neck residential neighborhood (consisting mostly of blacks and Hispanics).  And it would have cut off a section of the greenway path intended to connect to the east side of the park at Schurz Avenue. Obviously, this wall caused a great deal of controversy and the golf course plans were stalled.

2004  -- the date the Ferry Point Park Golf Course is slated to open.  Besides the new golf course, there will be a driving range, restaurants and conference space.

2005- 917-741-2768 call Dorothy Poggi Advocate

2006-

2007-

2008-

2009-

2010-

2011-

2012-new date for Golf Course to open

It took 3 years to build a Bridge back in 1939 and it has taken over 11 years already to just fill in a golf course

Trails:

New York City is constructing an 8-mile greenway from Soundview Park to Ferry Point Park.

This Plaque is mounted in the Waiting Room of the TBTA Whitestone Bridge Office....

It was given as part of a ceremony to celebrate the Whitestone Bridge's 50 Birthday June 17, 1989.

 917-741-2768 call Dorothy Poggi Advocate

Dorothea Poggi enjoys the celebration of the Bridges 70th "Birthday" with Ray Webb, Ken Kerns, Patrick Caruso, and many others of the MTA

Ferris lane which was the horse and buggy route to the Ferry for many years

then a 2 lane road becomes an extention of the (existing up to Pelham Parkway)

Hutchinson River Parkway to the Bronx Whitestone Bridge

West shoreline of the West side of the park back around 1938 before the bridge sound view in distance

West Side of Ferry Point Park 2005 

Ferry Point Park West Side was originally rebuilt and widened along with the Construction of the Bronx/Whitestone Bridge. This area was to serve as a recreational addition for the visitors traveling through the country by car to visit the New York 1939 Worlds Fair, then considered the Gateway to the "World Of Tomorrow."

The neighborhood between The Bronx/Whitestone Bridge and Bruckner Blvd is the Ferry Point Community. This once was a waterfront community like Locust Point, Silver Beach, Edgewater, etc. The children ran along the shores of Westchester Creek looking for Fiddler Crabs or the seasonal Horseshoe Crabs. They would swim all summer, as they grew they saved their money to buy speed boats which they put in and out according to the tides. Westchester Creek, runs parallel to Brush Ave. (the main road through Ferry Point). This is where the neighborhood children learnt (from the wetlands) about the viable Benthic community, of their creek. This creek still contributes fresh water to the tidal salt water where it creates a perfect area for spawning and "small fry" to grow. The children of the community met along this creek for beach parties, Halloween Ghost stories, Snowball fights, etc. This same Creek where the Minute men soldiers fought back the English Torries as they tried to cross to attack Washington as he marched up to Westchester across from the another side of the Bronx to gather new troops and food. The children created their own areas of play that required them to create their own rules. Everyone developed a specialty. Strange as it seems, these specialties have sculpted many of their lives up until this day.

This same rural neighborhood of the Bronx is now inundated with industry. All access to the water front has been taken away from the residents. Some existing water access streets were even de-mapped. Osio, Camac and others. Randall Avenue (across from Jay Place) was thrown into a deal with the developer of HO Penn to be used as a parking lot. The city used the last water access street to the creek (Lafayette Avenue) for a "Safety City"?

The children of the Bronx sit inside and play video games, at an age when we were on the move caring for our "empty lots" along our waterfront. As neighborhood children we all had to keep the area clean, we used to "grass whip" down the weeds and rake up and burn the leaves.

The Bronx has the worst Asthma and obesity in the City and yet there is comparatively little done to prevent the problem. Children must have a broader view of the world then a TV.

In order to monitor if the present industries are sneaking pollutants into the creek, we have to go across the creek to the other side and look over with binoculars (or use our camera zoom). Now, the residents are fenced off, Ferry Point Park is their only access to the waterfront and there were plans to fence that off as a golf course as well. The small children have to stay in their homes, or find recreation in the streets and parking lots of the warehouse etc. The teenagers race small cars and motorbikes etc., on the asphalt and concrete which is now this neighborhood..... Quite a change in just 40 years...

Good News? some of the children have gravitated towards the Park since the benches and synthetic field was completed. BUT there is still no restroom.

Attn: Designers for the Future Ferry Point Golf Course on the East side of the Park.

Thomas Balsley Associates 3/13/2006 emailed

rewritten 9/21/07

Theme idea for Future Waterfront Park at Ferry Point Golf Course Bronx ,

There is an interesting history of this particular area of the Bronx. Directly under the landfill is the original Baxter Creek inlet where the thousands of British Soldiers came over from Queens in Oct. 1776? to try to head off Washington as his depleted troops came up to Westchester from Manhattan. The troops marched down Throggs Neck to Westchester Square where a battle took place for days...The Americans who were mainly farmers were very good sniper types with there rifles. Most of their game food was rabbit and pheasant which require a keen shot.The Americans continued to pick off the British as they tried to cross the Creek at low tide because the Americans had destroyed the small wooden foot bridge before the British got there.

This was one of two battles that were important turning point of the Revolutionary war, the other was near Pell Mansion. Because the British were delayed they were not able to catch Washington with his depleted army and destroy them.This is a synopsis but a Revolutionary theme would be nice twist to this Golf course, or just the waterfront nature walk promenade. The appropriate statue would be a man in Minuteman clothing.There could be a plaque commemorating the occurrence, and there may be some garden motif that lends towards a rustic look. Maybe the black Iron Fence that seperates the promenade from the golf course property can have a decorative section repeated every 4th panel that would have a silhouette of a relating image. maybe just a boat with large sails???, a cannon? I don't advise the rifle motif in the Bronx....

Contact us with any questions..we appreciate your time..

Dorothea (Dotti) Poggi

TIMELINE OF EVENTS AFFECTING FERRY POINT

 Vintage photos/maps thanks to New York Public Library

1642  --  the land on which Ferry Point Park was built was part of the Throgmorton Grant

Ferry Point "Cliffs"

1850  --  shipping magnate Augustus diZerega and tobacco manufacturer Jacob Lorillard purchased the land.

1910-1939  --  ferry companies and the City of New York administered ferries that traveled between the Bronx and Queens, from Westchester Village to Whitestone and from Clason Point to College Point.

Bx/Whitestone in background.....Clason Point Ferry Slips (above)

1916  -- the Catholic House of the Good Shepherd bought the land.

1930s  --  New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses planned a beach, bathhouse, and cafeteria complex for the area.  (The plan was never implemented.)

As part of the deal to build the Bronx Whitestone Bridge, two major recreational areas were developed:  Ferry Point Park in the Bronx and Francis Lewis Park in Queens. 

1937  --  the Parks Commission obtained jurisdiction over 171 acres for the Ferry Point Park. The city purchased the land from the Roman Catholic House of the Good Shepherd.

(hearsay has it as a home for "Wayward girls")

1939 --- (April 29)  Bronx Whitestone Bridge opened to traffic.

1948   -- two pieces of land totaling 243 acres were acquired by condemnation.

1952-1970  -- sanitation filling began.

1960s  --  East side Ferry Point was closed because the old dump contained toxic chemicals (including possibly contaminated methane gas). Spontaneous fires errupted for years.

Dirt Bike enthusiasts and Model Airplane flyers adopted the area and utilized it for 30 years.

1970's--- West side Copper Roof on Comfort Station stolen, comfort station decayed and was demolished. Light poles fell into disrepair, electric was shut off, waterfountains all destroyed.

some where around this time a 200,000 clay cover was placed along Balcolm Avenue to protect Residents from possible toxic dust from landfill/large asphalted playground extended along Balcolm.

1980's--All terrain vehicles ran through the West side and destroyed grass and paths.

1999-- (December 22)  --  in an unanimous vote the City Planning Commission approved a $22 million dollar project to build a 175-acre golf course at Ferry Point Park.  The golf course would  be designed by Jack Nicklaus (but never on his website as the many others he put his name to) under a 35-year lease to private investors. (The surrounding East Side of the park was to have ballfields, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, basketball courts, and picnic grounds.)

The above photo is at the location of the future golf course. You can see how high the water used to come.

East side of the Park as a wetlands with Baxter Creek inlet still water. Bx/Whitestone is in the process of being built

1938-39

This is the area that was filled with raw garbage and then a landfill of construction debris to become the golf course in the future.

Below is a map of the wetlands above which are now filled in up to approximately the curved purple line.

This sketch directly below is the proposed waterfront promenade...www.tbny.com

1776--Battle of Westchester Creek/Baxter Creek

Oct. 12-Oct. 18

British Landed at Baxter Creek which used to be the divider between Ferry Point and Throggs Neck. (Baxter Creek Inlet was covered with Garbage for over 20 years before it was closed as a raw garbage landfill used as a park and then turned into a demolition debris landfill with the planned construction of a Golf course on the East side of the Bridge).

The British then came onto land at Schers Ave. and marched up the center of E.Tremont Ave. with the Hessians flanking the sides.

They marched towards Westchester Square and camped on top the high point which is now The First Presbyterian Church. Their plan was to take over the small village of Westchester Square.

American Admiral Howe was cutting across the Bronx to meet George Washington who was evacuating Manhattan and gathering recruits as he came up the Bronx River.

Col. Edward Handes and his men pulled up the planks from the cross bridge over Westchester Creek. Being sharp shooters (used to hunting squirrel, rabbit and Pheasants), these soldiers stayed up and down the shores of the creek and picked off the British for 6 Days as they tried to find a crossing for Westchester Creek. The British finally gave up and marched down Middletown Road, and up Boston Post to the Pelham’s.

One of the soldiers at this Battle was Smith, who later married President John Adams daughter. When yellow fever was rampant, Adams stayed at his daughter’s house on Boston Post Road, and ran the country from the Bronx for awhile.

nice shot of the newly (1939) finished Bridge from a boat?