Staten Island on the Web: History

Court House and County Clerk's Office, Richmond Town, Staten Island

Staten Island History Day: May 8, 2009

Staten Island History Day Fair
Find out about the Staten Island History Day Fair for 4th graders. Look for history day projects to be posted to the library website next spring!

A Timeline of Staten Island History

Timeline of Staten Island History
Significant dates from prehistory to the present day.

Staten Island History Tour

Historical Tour of Staten Island
An illustrated tour of some of Staten Island's famous historical sites written by Barnett Shepherd.

Indexes

Proceedings 1883-2003 of the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences
A list of articles (Tables of Contents) appearing in SIIAS Proceedings. Topics include Staten Island's environment, wildlife, geology, archaeology and history. Proceedings is available at SIIAS and the St. George Library Center.

The Staten Island Historian 1938-2002
Index to the Staten Island Historical Society's publication "The Staten Island Historian". Contains hundreds of articles about Staten Island history and is available on Staten Island at the St. George Library Center and the Staten Island Historical Society Library at Historic Richmond Town. (PDF Format)

Morris's Memorial History of Staten Island
Index to the two-volume history of Staten Island written by Ira K. Morris first published in 1898. Available at The New York Public Library.

Annals of Staten Island
Table of Contents from J.J. Clute's 1877 work, the "Annals of Staten Island". Available at The New York Public Library.

Cultural Institutions and Historical Organizations

Archaeology Society of Staten Island
Founded in 1962, the Archaeology society provides lectures and tours of sites around the world.

Center for Migration Studies
The Center, located at 209 Flagg Place, provides a library with information about international migration, refugees, and ethnic groups worldwide. The library catalog is searchable online and contains some Staten Island items.

College of Staten Island History Department
Website of the History Department of the College of Staten Island (CUNY). Information about the Department, student projects, and links.

Conference House
The Conference or Billopp House, located in Tottenville, was the host of a Revolutionary War peace conference between Americans Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge and British Representatives led by Admiral Lord Howe. Today the house, surrounded by a large bayside park, serves as a museum commemorating the unsuccessful negotiations.

Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries (FACSI)
The organization preserves abandoned cemeteries and compiles records of persons buried in them. An archive of newsletters is available online.

Historic Richmond Town (Staten Island Historical Society)
"Historic Richmond Town is New York City's living history village and museum complex. Visitors can explore the diversity of the American experience, especially that of Staten Island and its neighboring communities, from the colonial period to the present." The Staten Island Historical Society (SIHS) collects and preserves materials of everyday life including artifacts, archives and buildings. It conducts and promotes research based on these collections. SIHS operates Historic Richmond Town where it shares its collection and knowledge with the public through creative and engaging interpretative activities. Please contact SIHS for museum hours or to make an appointment to visit the research library.

Moravian Cemetery Tours
Moravian Cemetery is the resting place of many famous Staten Islanders. Take a tour and see the graves of Col. Robert Gould Shaw, Eberhard Faber, Alice Austen...

New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
"The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, popularly known as the "G & B," was founded in 1869. As a non-profit educational institution, our purpose is to collect and make available information on genealogy, biography and history, particularly as it relates to the people of New York State."

New-York Historical Society
Information about the Society's museum and library.

Preservation League of Staten Island
Information about historic buildings and districts on Staten Island.

SIIAS at CSI
Online exhibits from the Staten Island institute of Arts and Sciences and the College of Staten Island.

Staten Island Daughters of the American Revolution
Page of the local chapter of the DAR with links to other historical resources.

Wagner College History Department
Directory of the History Department faculty at Wagner.

Museums

Museum of the City of New York
The museum covers all five boroughs of NYC. Use the "Search" box to find Staten Island information.

New York State Museum
The New York State Museum is a major research and educational institution. It is dedicated to promoting inquiry and advancing knowledge in the fields of geology, biology, anthropology, and history, through the investigation of material evidence germane to New York State's past, present and future. Click "Services" and "State Historic Marker Program" to see a listing of 10 state historic markers in Richmond County.

South Street Seaport Museum
The museum library has many items dealing with the ferry and the Staten Island shipbuilding industry.

Staten Island Museum (Institute of Arts and Sciences)
The Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences presents exhibits relating to local history, arts, and environment and other topics. They maintain an extensive library of historical materials, which is open to the public by appointment. The museum is located near the ferry terminal in St. George, at 75 Stuyvesant Place

The Staten Island Historian: Online Editions

Staten Island Historian: Winter-Spring 2002 edition
The Port Richmond Branch of The New York Public Library: The First 50 Years 1905-1955

Staten Island Historian: Summer-Fall 2001edition
Miss Cecyl and the Children's Playhouse/Sylvan Cemetery/September 11, 2001: Norm Pederson: Cooper and Deckhand

Staten Island Historian: Winter-Spring 2001 edition
The Trees of Historic Richmond Town

Staten Island Historian: Summer-Fall 2000 edition
Historical Archaeology And The Dutch Reformed Church Site At Historic Richmond Town

Staten Island Historian: Winter-Spring 2000 edition
Encounter with Doc/Simple Childhood Memories

Staten Island Historian: Winter-Spring 1999 edition
A Richmondtown Childhood

Historical Research Guides

Research Guide: Staten Island [Richmond County] Libraries
A brief guide to the collections, hours, and services of area libraries with information about Staten Island developed by the Staten Island Historical Society.

Staten Island Research Materials at Other Institutions: A Guide
Listings, from the College of Staten Island, of Staten Island related materials at City Hall Library, the Municipal Archives, New-York Historical Society, New York State Archives, New York State Library, The New York Public Library, Staten Island Institute for Arts and Sciences and The Staten Island Historical Society.

Libraries and Archives

Brief Histories and Historical Photos of Staten Island Branches
Brief historical descriptions and a selection of photographs of Staten Island branch libraries from the early 1900s. Includes both present and former branches.

Collections of the Staten Island Historical Society
Catalog listings from the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections of the letters, diaries, business and organizational records relating to Staten Island.

Collections of the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences
Catalog listings from the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections of the letters, diaries, business and organizational records relating to Staten Island.

Collections related to Staten Island: national listings
Catalog listings from the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections of the letters, diaries, business and organizational records relating to Staten Island at dozens of institutions on Staten Island and around the United States including: John A. Noble Maritime Collection, New-York Historical Society, New York City Municipal Archives, Pierpont Morgan Library, Smithsonian Institution, Brooklyn Historical Society, Museum of the City of New York, religious institutions, etc.

College of Staten Island Library Archives and Special Collections
The Special Collections unit collects in several primary subject areas related to Staten Island, including political history, immigration, and public policy. Major components of the Special Collections include The Senator John J. Marchi Papers, The Assemblywoman Elizabeth A. Connelly Papers, The Eric N. Vitaliano Papers, The Theodora Dubois Papers, and The Staten Island Collection.

The primary collecting focus of the Archives is on the official (administrative) records of the College of Staten Island and its predecessor institutions, Staten Island Community College and Richmond College. These records document the functions, policies, and decisions of the College and include correspondence, reports, minutes, directives, announcements, photographs, and publications. The Archives also collects semi-official records and publications of College-sponsored student, alumni, and faculty organizations that document College life. Finally, the Archives selectively collects personal and professional papers of faculty, administrators, staff, students, and alumni that reflect the life of the College.

History of the Port Richmond Branch Library 1905-1955
A history of the Port Richmond Branch Library from 1905-1955 from the Staten Island Historian.

Island History at the Library of Congress
Search the site for pictures and text from Island history including "The Huguenots of Staten Island" from Continental Monthly (1862), "A Spring Jaunt on Staten Island" from Harper's Weekly (1878), a 1776 plan for attacking Staten Island from George Washington's papers, the Tysen Jacob House, the Ichabod Crane House, the Perine House in Dongan Hills, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (photographs of their Erastina /Mariners Harbor- camp and an online film of their parade down 5th Avenue), a Castleton Civil War recruiting poster, Staten Island Free Trade Zone posters (1937), and more.

NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
DORIS, which includes the municipal archives, collects reports of city agencies, files on neighborhoods, and records of Staten Island towns before their consolidation into New York City in 1898. The website allows you to order WPA "tax photos" of almost every house on Staten Island that existed in 1939/1940. Order photos of your Staten Island home here (or print them from microfilm at the St. George Branch Library).

St. George Library Local History Collection
Of the twelve branches of The New York Public Library on Staten Island, the St. George Library Center has the largest collection of local history information. There are over 250 books and pamphlets on local history, biographies, culture, and the environment; clippings from local newspapers; telephone directories from 1985 onwards; government documents on secession, the landfill, and various environmental assessment statements. The Staten Island Advance is available on microfilm from 1921 onwards, as well as the Property Assessment photographs of the 1930's and 1940's.

The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy
The Local History Division of the Research Libraries of The New York Public Library. The Division is located at 5th Avenue and 42nd St. in Manhattan and has extensive holdings of NYC and Staten Island History.

Old Location Names

Old Location Names of Staten Island
Hundreds of old and largely forgotten names of locations on Staten Island. Selected from Ira K. Morris's Memorial History of Staten Island published in 1898 and 1900.

Historical Staten Island Newspapers

Historical Richmond County Newspapers on Microfilm
Catalog listings of over 20 local newspapers on microfilm, dating back to the 1800s from the New York State Newspaper Project, including: Richmond County Sentinel, Richmond County Standard, Staten Island Gazette, Deutsche Staten Islander, Richmond County Herald, Staten Islander, Black Reign Community Newspaper, Staten Island Advance, Staten Island Independent, Staten Island Register, Staten Island Transcript, Staten Island World and more.

Historical Images of Staten Island

Staten Island In Vintage Postcards Collection
This list provides an inventory of the 768 images in The New York Public Library's Staten Island in Vintage Postcards collection. Most of these images have been digitized and are now available for home access in NYPL Digital.

St. George Library WPA
During the 1930s the Works Progress Administration photographed almost every house on Staten Island. The St. George Branch has microfilm reels of these photos allowing viewers to find pictures of their house or other locations as they appeared in the 1930s. To order these photos see: NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) http://home.nyc.gov/html/records/home.html

Mid Manhattan Branch Library's Picture Collection Online
NYPL's collection of 30,000 digitized images (from the 1920s back to the 1600s), of all types. For Staten Island images select the folder "New York City-Staten Island". It includes 18 Island images: The Dongan Manor, The Quarantine, Standard Varnish Works in Elm Park, The Alice Austen House, The Billopp (Conference) House, Mount Hermon, Boardwalk at South Beach, the New York Yacht Club and more.

NYPL Digital
This searchable collection of over a quarter million online historical images of all types includes over 1,000 Staten Island images as well as many more from around New York City.

Historical Postcards and Photographs of Staten Island
A collection of over 30 postcards and photos (primarily from the early 20th Century) including: SI ferryboats "Richmond" and "Perth Amboy", Bird's Eye View of Stapleton, Actor's Fund Home in West New Brighton, Sailor's Snug Harbor, Britton Ice House, Voorleezer's House, Conference House, "Barrett, Nephews and Co.", New Dorp Train Station, Terra Marine Inn in Huguenot Park, Port Richmond in the 1920s and more.

The Staten Island History Murals of Frederick Charles Stahr
Located on the main floor of Staten Island Borough Hall are thirteen large, newly restored, murals depicting scenes from Staten Island history.

Penny Postcards of Richmond County, New York
A USGenWeb Archives Web Site with several postcards from the early 1900s.

Berenice Abbott's Staten Island Photos
Four photos of the Island by noted photographer Berenice Abbott, from the NYPL Digital Gallery. The photos are from Abbott's Changing New York project (1935-1939). They include the Garibaldi Memorial at 139 Hope Avenue, and 340-348 St. Mark's Place (2 photos).

National Register of Historic Places

Richmond County Sites in the National Register of Historic Places
Historic houses and buildings on Staten Island listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Select the "Historic Districts" tab to view local historic districts.

Research Your House

Research the History of Your Home at NYPL and SIIAS
Find out historical information about when your house was built, previous owners of your house, buildings that have existed on your property and events that took place there at The New York Public Library and the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences.

Transportation History Links: Trains, Ferries, Bridges, etc.

Abandoned Staten Island Railroad Stations
Information and photos on abandoned Island stations from Forgotten New York.

Bayonne Bridge: Historic Overview
A detailed history of the bridge with construction photos.

Goethals Bridge: Historic Overview
History, statistics and photos of the bridge.

Outerbridge Crossing: Historic Overview
History, statistics and photos of the bridge.

SIRT: A Staten Island Rapid Transit History
Detailed history of railroad operations with a large selection of historical photographs of every station

Staten Island Ferry History
Statistical information and photos of past and present boats, the Manhattan and Staten Island terminals, news about future boat orders and ferry "wallpaper" for your computer.

Staten Island Rapid Transit: The Essential History
A detailed history from Irvin Leigh and Paul Matus in the Third Rail Online.

The Naming of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
The story of how the bridge got its name.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge: Historic Overview
History, statistics, and photos of the bridge.

Digitized Historical Maps

American Shores: Maps From The New York Public Library
The digitized maps and atlases included in American Shores are drawn from the extensive holdings of the Map Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library. Search the collection for maps which include a 1776 Revolutionary War map, an 1845 Marine Hospital Ground map, a 1781 New York Harbor chart and more.

Old Towns of Staten Island
A small map showing the general boundaries of the five old Staten Island towns that existed before consolidation with the City of New York: Castleton, Middletown, Northfield, Southfield, and Westfield. Includes descriptions of Staten Island towns, geography and history.

Office of Coast Survey: Historical Map and Chart Collection
View historical nautical charts of New York Harbor. Many older charts include Staten Island roads and buildings. Click on "Image Catalog". In the "select region" box choose "New York". Includes the charts of 1866, 1870 and many years in the 1900s.

Staten Island Cultural Map and Visitors Guide
A recent map of Staten Island with pictures and descriptions of cultural and historical sites. Produced by the Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island.

1891 and 1898 USGS Maps of Staten Island
Topographical maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey.

1878 New York Bay and Harbor, New York.
This U.S. Coast Survey map includes Staten Island's roads and buildings.

A Revolutionary War Battle Map of the Island
A map of Staten Island from 1777 showing the British encampment.

Island Road Map From 1941
A scanned road map from nycroads.com.

Island Road Map From 1960
A scanned road map from nycroads.com.

Island Bus Map From 1969
A scanned MTA bus map from www.nycsubway.org.

General Historical Links

Bethlehem Shipyard
The massive Bethlehem shipyard in Mariner's Harbor and its role in World War II.

Black Heritage of Staten Island
Information and photos from an exhibit at the Alice Austen House.

Borough Historian of Staten Island
Website and contact information for the Staten Island Borough Historian, Dr. Thomas Matteo.

Civil War: The 178th Regiment
A history of the 178th Regiment of New York Volunteers, organized on Staten Island.

College of Staten Island: A History
A history of the college.

Colonial Slaves of Staten Island
A brief history of slavery on Staten Island with a list of Staten Island slaves and slave owners extracted from wills and other documents. Written by Staten Island Borough Historian Richard Dickenson.

Delaware (Lenape) Tribe
The Lenapes lived on Staten Island before its settlement by Europeans. This site covers the larger Delaware Tribe, which included the Lenapes.

Delaware (Lenape) Tribe (2)
More information about the tribe that lived on Staten Island and the surrounding area, including: History, traditional clothing, foods, dances, stories, games, and audio files of Lenape words (with their English translations).

Edwin Markham page
A page dedicated to the Staten Island poet from Wagner College Library, which maintains a large collection of Markham's papers.

Forgotten Cemeteries of Staten Island
Some very old cemeteries on the Island from "Forgotten New York."

Historic Homes on the North Shore
"Forgotten New York's" tour of old houses in St. George, New Brighton and Stapleton.

Historic Miller Field
History of the air base at Miller Field in New Dorp from 1919-1969.

Historic Structures on Staten Island
Histories of notable buildings on Staten Island from the Metropolitan Historic Structures Association.

Historical Signs in Staten Island Parks
Learn the history of local parks and monuments. The texts of hundreds of signs, which are posted in Island parks, are included here. (Click "enter" at the parks Department page)

Ichabod Crane's Grave
The real Ichabod Crane, inspiration for the name of Washington Irving's schoolteacher in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", is buried on Staten Island. The site includes additional information about Merrill, Lake and New Springville Cemeteries.

Latourette, Lighthouses, and Wright
A tour of Lighthouse Hill, its Frank Lloyd Wright designed home and the surrounding area from "Forgotten New York".

Lighthouse Depot
A history of the lighthouse depot at St. George from the National Lighthouse Museum.

MapStats
A collection of census and economic figures from the mid 1990s until the present.

National Guard: 1st Battalion, 101st Cavalry
"A" Company is headquartered at the armory on Manor Road on Staten Island.

New York Metropolitans
A History of the Metropolitan baseball team at St. George by Patricia M. Salmon, Curator of History at the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences.

New York Metropolitans (2)
The Metropolitans played in St. George for the 1886 and 1887 seasons. Team rosters and statistics are presented here. For images of three 1887 Metropolitan baseball cards see the "American Memory" page at http://memory.loc.gov.

New York Yacht Club's Staten Island Clubhouse
The crumbling remains of the once grand New York Yacht Club is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Political Graveyard
Information about politicians who were born, lived on or are buried on Staten Island with some details about their lives .

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau: The Staten Island Correspondence
Letters to and from the great writers, who both spent time on Staten Island. Thoreau's stay on the Island (1843-44) occurred shortly before moving to his more famous residence, the cabin at Walden Pond (1845).

Regional information from the Chamber of Commerce
A collection of facts about Staten Island including: the official flower (pinkster azalea), flag, altitude, latitude and longitude.

Sea View Hospital Ruins
A photographic tour of the ruins of the historic Staten Island hospital (listed here as hospital X).

Seguine Mansion
The 1838 mansion of Joseph H. Seguine, by Lemon Creek, is open for occasional tours by the NYC Parks Department. (click to enter at the Parks Dept. page to link to Seguine Mansion).

St. George Neighborhood History
A history of St. George written by Staten Island Borough Historian Richard Dickenson. Provided here thanks to a 2004 Premiere Grant from COAHSI, the Council of Arts and Humanities for Staten Island.

Staten Island and New Netherland
A brief history of the early Dutch Settlements of the 1600s on Staten Island. Presented by the New Netherland Project at the New York State Library.

Staten Island Borough Presidents
A list of all Staten Island Borough Presidents and their terms of office from 1898 to the present.

Staten Island History Links at Rootsweb
A collection of Staten Island History and Geography links at the Richmond County site of NYGenWeb.

Staten Island Hornpipe
Musical notation and sound file for the traditional Appalachian tune.

Staten Island University Hospital History
A history of the hospital, formerly Smith's Infirmary and Staten Island Hospital, with photos and video.

Staten Island's Marine Hospital
A history of the Island hospital that was the birthplace of the National Institute of Health

The Stapletons, Staten Island's own NFL Franchise
A History of the Staten Island Stapletons who played in the NFL from 1929 to 1932 and their long history as a semi-pro team.

The Telegraph
The optical semaphore signal that announced the arrival of ships in New York Harbor on what was known as Telegraph Hill.

The Top 100 Historical events in Staten Island History
A list of the 100 most important Island events as chosen by the readers of the Staten Island Advance.

Thoreau's Staten Island Experience
An article about Henry David Thoreau's stay on Staten Island from "Literary Traveler".

Tottenville Businesses of the Past
An article from the Staten Island Register by Angie Mangino

Tottenville Businesses of the Past: Part 2
The second part of Angie Mangino's article.

Verrazano's voyage: The written record
The record of Giovanni da Verrazano's 1524 voyage to the new world and Staten Island.

Volunteer Fire Companies of Staten Island
A list of the Staten Island volunteer fire companies from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s with their locations and dates of organization.

Wagner College History
A history of the college, which moved to Grimes Hill in 1918.

Wagnerpedia: Staten Island History
Projects created by the students of Wagner College include materials on: Native Americans, Huguenots, Park Hill, the Civil War, World War I, 19th Century transfomations, Edwin Markham, Prohibition Park...

World Trade Center, Staten Island Recovery Site
A online exhibit from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History relating to the Fresh Kills Landfill recovery operations and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.