The Perth Amboy Ferry Slip, located on the Arthur Kill in

Perth Amboy Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,436. Perth Amboy has a Hispanic majority population. In the 2010 census, th ...

, Middlesex County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States, was once a vital

ferry slip A ferry slip is a specialized docking facility that receives a ferryboat or train ferry. A similar structure called a barge slip receives a barge or car float that is used to carry wheeled vehicles across a body of water. Often a ferry intend ...

for boats in New York Harbor. It was added to the

New Jersey Register of Historic Places The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The program is administered by the New Jersey's state historic preservation office with ...

and

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1978. The ferry slip was restored in 1998 to its 1904 appearance. A replica of the ticket office has been constructed and is used as a small museum.

History

Perth Amboy is located at the mouth of the

Raritan River Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. History Geologists assert that the lower Raritan provided t ...

at the

Raritan Bay Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west by Per ...

, an arm of the

Lower New York Bay Lower New York Bay is a section of New York Bay south of the Narrows (the strait between Staten Island and Brooklyn). The eastern end of the Bay is marked by two spits of land, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Rockaway, Queens. The waterway b ...

. Perth Amboy served as New Jersey's capital from 1686 until 1776. In 1684, it became the capital of

East Jersey The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

and remained so after the union of East and

West Jersey West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was ofte ...

in 1702, becoming an alternate colonial capital with

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

until 1776. Ferry service at the site dates back to 1684. During the colonial era and for a long thereafter, Perth Amboy was an important way-station for travel between

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, providing the waterways used by the ferry service originally set up by

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

, who later became known as "The Commodore". The slip was later used to transport newly arrived immigrants from

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...

, many of whom remained in the town. The native Lenape provided crossings to settlers as early as 1680. The longest-running ferry service crossed the Arthur Kill to

Tottenville, Staten Island Tottenville is a neighborhood on the South Shore of Staten Island, New York City. It is the southernmost settlement in both New York City and New York State. Tottenville is bounded on three sides by water: the south side abuts New York Bight w ...

, with regular service beginning in 1709 or 1719 operated by Christopher Billopp. Steam service was introduced late 19th century by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and ran until 1943, and was served by the Staten Island Railway at the

Tottenville station The Tottenville station is a Staten Island Railway rapid transit station in the neighborhood of Tottenville, Staten Island, New York. Located near Main Street and Arthur Kill Road, it is the southern terminus on the main line and the southernmo ...

. In the early motoring age the ferry was an important link for travelers to the Jersey Shore It became less important with the 1928 opening of the

Outerbridge Crossing The Outerbridge Crossing, also known as the Outerbridge, is a cantilever bridge that spans the Arthur Kill between Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and Staten Island, New York. It carries New York State Route 440 (NY 440) and New Jersey R ...

, but continued operating until October 17, 1963.

Gallery

File:SIRT map.jpg, Perth Amboy-Tottenville Ferry connected to the Staten Island Railway File:Perth Amboy Ferry Slip foot of Smith Street.jpg, Looking toward the Perth Amboy Ferry Slip in the direction of departure towards Tottenville

References

External links

Tottenville history

Perth Amboy Ferry Slip Museum
- Facebook site

WikimapiaTottenville Memories
{{Perth Amboy, New Jersey Transport infrastructure completed in 1904 Ferry terminals in New Jersey Perth Amboy, New Jersey Transportation buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Pre-statehood history of New Jersey Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, New Jersey Transportation buildings and structures in Middlesex County, New Jersey Museums in Middlesex County, New Jersey Baltimore and Ohio Railroad National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County, New Jersey New Jersey Register of Historic Places Ferry terminals on the National Register of Historic Places

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links