Past Vessels 1
Past Staten Island Ferries
Stapleton
Commission Date
1888
Gross Tonnage
1592
Passengers / Cars
Builder
Columbian Iron Works, MD
Design
Elliott Bay Design Group
Engines
Compund Steam Engine
Propulsion
Paddle Wheel
Horsepower
1,200
Length / Width
225' / 61'
Previously named the Robert Garrett. Withdrawn in 1905. Became the Express in 1922, and barge York River in 1940. Broken up in 1956.
Stapleton is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island New York. It is located along the waterfront of the Upper New York Bay, bounded on the north by Tompkinsville at Grant Street, on the south by Clifton at Vanderbilt Avenue, and on the west by St. Paul’s Avenue and Van Duzer Street, which form the border with the community of Grymes Hill. Stapleton is one of the older waterfront neighborhoods of Staten Island, built in the 1830s on land once owned by the Vanderbilt family. Due to its proximity to the Staten Island Ferry, Stapleton is well served by public transportation. The neighborhood was the site of the farm where Cornelius Vanderbilt grew up, at the location of the present-day Paramount Theater building on Bay Street (the theater itself having closed in the early 1980s). In the early 19th century it became the commercial center of Southfield Township. In 1832 William J. Staples, a merchant from Manhattan for whom the neighborhood is named, as well as Minthorne Tompkins, the son of Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins, acquired land from the Vanderbilt’s and laid out the streets. Staples and Tompkins started a ferry service from the neighborhood waterfront to Manhattan and began advertising their new village in 1836.
Castleton
Commission Date
1888
Gross Tonnage
1587
Passengers / Cars
Builder
Columbian Iron Works, MD
Design
Elliott Bay Design Group
Engines
Compund Steam Engine
Propulsion
Paddle Wheel
Horsepower
1,200
Length / Width
225' / 61'
Previously named the Erastus Wiman. Withdrawn 1905. Burned at Norfolk, March 2, 1918.
Castleton is a former town in the U.S. state of New York. It was located in the northeastern part of Staten Island prior to the incorporation of Staten Island into New York City in 1898. It had a total area of 3880 acres (16 km²) and was bounded by Upper New York Bay on the east and the Kill Van Kull on the north. The town dates from the late 17th century as one of the four original divisions of Richmond County (five after Middletown was created in the mid-19th century). It was originally set aside as the manor of the governor of the Province of New York and was named for the manor of Governor Thomas Dongan in Cassiltowne in County Kildare, Ireland. The original manor house was constructed along Richmond Terrace, between Dongan Street and Bodin Street. It was destroyed by fire on December 5, 1878. The former town included the present-day neighborhoods of Castleton Corners New Brighton St. George Silver Lake Tompkinsville.
Manhattan
Commission Date
1905
Gross Tonnage
1954
Passengers / Cars
Builder
Maryland Steel Company
Design
Double Compound Steam
Engines
Compund Steam Engine
Propulsion
Direct Drive
Horsepower
3,500
Length / Width
246' / 48'
The first ferry to make the famous trip as a New York City Staten Island Ferry. One of the first five ferries built specifically for the NYC Staten Island Ferry.
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely-populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York. The borough and county consist of Manhattan Island and islands: Roosevelt, Randall’s Island, Wards Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island, part of Ellis Island, and U Thant Island; as well as Marble Hill, a small section on the mainland adjacent to the Bronx. The original city of New York began at the southern end of Manhattan, expanded northwards and then, between 1874 and 1898, incorporated land from surrounding counties. Manhattan is a major commercial, financial, and cultural center of both the United States and the world. Anchored by Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City vies with the City of London as the financial capital of the world and is home of both the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. Many major radio, television, and telecommunications companies in the United States are based here, as well as many news, magazine, book, and other media publishers. Manhattan has many famous landmarks, tourist attractions, museums, and universities. It is also home to the headquarters of the United Nations. It is the center of New York City and the New York metropolitan region, hosting the seat of city government and a large portion of the area’s employment, business, and entertainment activities. As a result, residents of New York City’s other boroughs such as Brooklyn and Queens often refer to a trip to Manhattan as “going to the city”, despite the comparable populations between those boroughs.
Bronx
Commission Date
1954
Passengers / Cars
Builder
Maryland Steel Company
Design
Double Compound Steam
Engines
Compund Steam Engine
Propulsion
Direct Drive
Horsepower
3,500
Length / Width
246' / 48'
One of the first five ferries built specifically for the NYC Staten Island Ferry. Abandoned in 1941.
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 6 counties of New York State to be incorporated. Located north of Manhattan and Queens, and south of Westchester County, the Bronx is the only borough located primarily on the mainland. The Bronx River was named for Jonas Bronck, an early settler from Småland in Sweden whose land bordered the river on the east. The borough of the Bronx was named for the river that was “Bronck’s River”. The indigenous Lenape (Delaware) American Indians were progressively displaced after 1643 by settlers from the Netherlands and Great Britain. The Bronx received many Irish, German, Jewish and Italian immigrants as its once-rural population exploded between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. They were succeeded after 1945 by African Americans and Hispanic Americans from the Caribbean basin — especially Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, but also from Jamaica. In recent years, this cultural mix has made the Bronx a wellspring of both Latin music and hip hop.
Brooklyn
Commission Date
1905
Gross Tonnage
1954
Passengers / Cars
Builder
Maryland Steel Company
Design
Double Compound Steam
Propulsion
Direct Drive
Horsepower
3,500
Length / Width
246' / 48'
One of the first five ferries built specifically for the NYC Staten Island Ferry. Scrapped in 1947.
Fuhgeddaboudit. Brooklyn is the most populous borough of New York City. With approximately 2.5 million residents, and the second largest in land area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, after New York County (Manhattan). It is also the westernmost county on Long Island. Brooklyn was an independent city until its consolidation with New York City in 1898, and continues to maintain a distinct culture, independent art scene, and unique architectural heritage. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves where ethnic groups and cultures predominate. Brooklyn’s official motto is Een Draght Mackt Maght (In Unity, there is Strength). Written in the (old) Dutch language, it is inspired by the motto of the United Dutch Provinces and translated as In Unity There is Strength. The motto is displayed on the borough seal and flag, which also feature a young, robed woman bearing fasces, a traditional emblem of republicanism. Brooklyn’s official colors are blue and gold.
Queens
Commission Date
1905
Gross Tonnage
1954
Passengers / Cars
Builder
Maryland Steel Company
Design
Double Compound Steam
Propulsion
Direct Drive
Horsepower
3,500
Length / Width
246' / 48'
One of the first five ferries built specifically for the NYC Staten Island Ferry. Scrapped in 1947.
Queens is the largest in area, the second largest in population, and the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York State, in the United States. Located on the western portion of Long Island, Queens is home to two of the three major New York City area airports, JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. It is also the location of the New York Mets baseball team, the US Open tennis tournament, Flushing Meadows Park, and Aqueduct Racetrack. Queens was established in 1683 as one of the original 12 counties of New York and was supposedly named for the Queen consort, Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705), the Portuguese princess who married King Charles II of England in 1662. The borough is considered one of the more suburban boroughs of New York City. The neighborhoods in eastern Queens have a look and feel similar to the bordering suburbs of western Nassau County. In its northwestern section, however, Queens is home to many urban neighborhoods and several central business districts. Long Island City, on the Queens’ waterfront across from Manhattan, is the site of the Citicorp Building, the tallest skyscraper in New York City outside of Manhattan, and the tallest building on geographic Long Islan
Richmond
Commission Date
1905
Gross Tonnage
1954
Passengers / Cars
Builder
Maryland Steel Company
Design
Double Compound Steam
Propulsion
Direct Drive
Horsepower
3,500
Length / Width
246' / 48'
One of the first five ferries built specifically for the NYC Staten Island Ferry. Converted into a barge in 1944. Scrapped in 1947.
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay. With a population of 491,730, Staten Island is the least populated of the five boroughs but is the third largest in area at 59 sq mi (153 km). The Borough of Staten Island is coextensive with Richmond County, the southernmost county in the state of New York. Until 1975, the borough was officially named the Borough of Richmond. Staten Island is overall the most suburban of the five boroughs of New York City. The North Shore — especially the neighborhoods of St. George, Tompkinsville, Clifton, and Stapleton — is the most urban part of the island; it contains the officially designated St. George Historic District and the St. Paul’s Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District, which feature large Victorian homes. The South Shore has more suburban-style residential neighborhoods and is home to the two and one-half mile long F.D.R. Boardwalk, the fourth longest in the world. Historically, the central and southern sections of the island were dominated by dairy and poultry farms, almost all of which disappeared in the 0th century. Staten Island used to claim the largest landfill in the world. It was closed in 2001, then shortly afterwards reopened to house the debris from the September 11th attacks, and then shortly after closed for good. The landfill is now in the process of being made into what will be New York City’s largest public park. The borough is accessible to Brooklyn via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and to New Jersey via the Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing, and Bayonne Bridge. Staten Island has Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus service and an MTA rapid transit line, the Staten Island Railway, which runs from the ferry terminal at St. George to Tottenville. Staten Island is the only one of the five boroughs of New York City that does not have below-ground rapid transit. The free Staten Island Ferry connects the borough to Manhattan and is a popular tourist attraction, providing views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and lower Manhattan.
Mayor Gaynor
Commission Date
1914
Gross Tonnage
1009
Passengers / Cars
Builder
NY Shipbuilding Company, NJ
Design
4 Cylinder Triple Exp. Steam
Propulsion
Direct Drive
Horsepower
1,950
Length / Width
210' / 45'
New York City Mayor from 1910-13. Dismantled in 1951.
William Jay Gaynor (1849 – September 10, 1913) was an American politician from New York City, associated with the Tammany Hall political machine. He served as mayor of the City of New York from 1910 to 1913, as well as stints as a New York Supreme Court Justice from 1893 to 1909. Gaynor was born in Oriskany, New York. A one-time member of the Christian Brothers order, Gaynor would disappoint Tammany Hall when they nominated him for mayor in 1909. Elected to the New York State Supreme Court in 1893, and appointed to the Appellate Division, Second Department in 1905, Gaynor’s rulings were often cited around the country. His reputation as an honest reformer helped win him election as mayor in 1909. On January 1, 1910, he walked to City Hall from his home in Brooklyn – it was the first time he had ever visited the seat of city government – and addressed the 1,500 people gathered to greet him: “I enter upon this office with the intention of doing the very best I can for the City of New York. That will have to suffice; I can do no more.”
President Roosevelt
Commission Date
1921
Gross Tonnage
1907
Passengers / Cars
Builder
SI Shipbuilding Co. NY
Design
Double Compound Steam
Propulsion
Direct Drive
Horsepower
3,500
Length / Width
242' / 46'
Named for Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. President from 1901-09. Scrapped in 1956.
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919 was the 26th President of the United States (1901–1909). He is noted for his energetic personality, range of interests and achievements, leadership of the Progressive Movement, and his “cowboy” image and robust masculinity. He was a leader of the Republican Party and founder of the short-lived Progressive (“Bull Moose”) Party of 1912. Before becoming President, he held offices at the municipal, state, and federal level of government. Roosevelt’s achievements as a naturalist, explorer, hunter, author, and soldier are as much a part of his fame as any office he held as a politician. In 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated; and Roosevelt became President at the age of 42, taking office at the youngest age of any U.S. President in history. Roosevelt attempted to move the Republican Party in the direction of Progressivism, including trust busting and increased regulation of businesses. Roosevelt coined the phrase “Square Deal” to describe his domestic agenda, emphasizing that the average citizen would get a fair share under his policies. On the world stage, Roosevelt’s policies were characterized by his slogan, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. Roosevelt was the force behind the completion of the Panama Canal; he sent out the Great White Fleet to display American power; and he negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese War, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Roosevelt was the first American to win the Nobel Prize in any field.
American Legion I
Commission Date
1926
Gross Tonnage
2029
Passengers / Cars
Builder
SI Shipbuilding Co. NY
Design
Double Compound Steam
Propulsion
Direct Drive
Horsepower
3,500
Length / Width
251' / 46'
To honor the national veterans’ organization. Scrapped in 1963.
The American Legion is a congressionally chartered mutual-aid veterans organization of the United States armed forces founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by the United States Congress. The American Legion was founded in 1919 by veterans returning from Europe after World War I, and was later chartered under Title 36 of the United States Code. The organization is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and also has offices in Washington, D.C. The group has nearly 3 million members in over 14,000 Posts worldwide
