The major industry in St. George, Staten Island is transportation. St. George is the transportation hub for all of Staten Island. In the early 1800’s, Staten Island was growing at a slower pace due to its isolation and lack of transportation network. This isolation led to many well-off families becoming engaged in oyster harvesting, shipbuilding, and fishing because there was little opportunity for them to leave the island. The town of St. George has a widely varied history, ranging from being a residential neighborhood to an industrial center.
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The first chartered boat service between Staten Island and Manhattan was established in 1713. On November 29, 1817, the first steam ferry began to run from Staten Island to Manhattan. At the time the ferry service was a new and exciting idea, so the cost of a trip was very high. The commute only attracted wealthy New Yorkers, who had recently settled on Staten Island.
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However, George Cromwell [Staten Island’s first borough president], has plans to create a transportation network that would connect Staten Island to the outside world. A network of rail and ferry service was successfully establishes and connected most parts of the island with ferries leaving from most shores across from the island.
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St. George was the main terminal for the whole transportation industry. St. George was developed to facilitate the area’s development as a transportation hub and attract visitors from other areas, especially Manhattan. Local developers wanted a town for the consolidation of rail connections close to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.In 1864, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad acquired the service route. At that time, several ferryboats were already apart of the fleet traveling between the two islands.
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In 1905, services were regulated when the City of New York decided to assume control of the Staten Island ferry system. Large-scale changes were then implemented. Large, diesel-powered vessels that could hold up to six thousand passengers replaced steamboats and provided space to transport vehicles. The completion of the Verrazano Bridge in 1964 prompted a whole new wave of residents and industries to move into Staten Island.
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This influx of residents brought with them a demand for steady ferry service. On July 4, 1997, the round trip ferry became free of charge (Goldfarb and Ferreri 2009). This development brought much more tourism to the ferry. The Staten Island Ferry has now developed into a major tourist attraction because of the picturesque views of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan Skyline, and the New York Harbor. According to a New York Times article written in 1964, the Staten Island Ferry carried over 27 million passengers between Manhattan and Staten Island the previous year (The New York Times 1964). Today, a typical weekday consists of five boats, 109 ferry trips, and 60,000 passengers. Between rush hours, boats are regularly maintained and fueled, and terminals are cleaned around the clock (SI Ferry 2011).
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In 1922, the Commerce and Industry Association of New York Industrial Bureau claimed that the population of Staten Island could always be readily mobilized for industrial service due to the transportation that ran out of St. George. At the time, workers on Staten Island had to be ready to move in order to maintain work. Workers such as longshoremen often had to travel day to day in order to get hired. This transportation industry in St. George helped them to be ready for this process. This was mostly attributed to railroads, trolleys, and the ferry at the time (Commerce and Industry Association of New York Industrial Bureau 1922). Today, The St. George Ferry Terminal is the hub of almost all Staten Island bus routes.
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Until 2005, the Staten Island Ferry Terminal Building remained almost completely unchanged from its original state. In addition to this, St. George is also the terminal for the Staten Island Railway. The Staten Island Railway, formerly called the Staten Island Rapid Transit, runs from the ferry terminal to Tottenville. The St. George Ferry is New York City’s only waterfront railroad-ferry terminal. This railroad has run a passenger service from St. George since the 1880’s.
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One of the other big industries is tourism. Being a transportation hub, allows St. George to thrive off of the industry of attracting tourists. The St. George Theatre is located only a short walk away from the ferry terminal. In 2004, the theatre was saved from closing and underwent renovations. A variety of activities now take place there including television shoots, concerts, and educational programs. The Richmond County Ballpark, the home of the minor league Staten Island Yankees, opened in 2001. St. George is also home to several museums and the Staten Island September 11th memorial (Walsh 2006).
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Citations
Commerce and Industry Association of New York Industrial Bureau. 1922. Staten Island, New York City: Its Industrial Resources and Possibilities. New York: 1922.
Ferreri, James G., and David Goldfarb. 2009. St. George, Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco CA: Arcadia Publishing
Gold, Kenneth M., and Lori R. Weintrob. 2011. Discovering Staten Island: A 350th Anniversary Commemorative History, Charleston, SC: The History Press
“History of Staten Island Told in an Illustrated Booklet.” New York Times, July 6, 1964. Accessed February 20, 2012. ProQuest: Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (AAT 115860361).
The Staten Island Ferry. 2011. “Information.” Last modified 2011. http://www.siferry.com/.
Walsh, Kevin. 2006. Forgotten New York: Views of a Lost Metropolis. New York: HarperCollins.
