AND THE WINNER IS GRASMERE

On the recent poll that I posted on to my blog, I asked readers what town in Staten Island they wanted to learn about next. The winner was Grasmere. It isn't very rich in history, but does have interesting facts none the less. It sits on the lower end of Clove Valley, its original name was Southfield, and was founded in 1683.

Sir Roderick W. Cameron who was a founding member of the American Jockey Club played a big part in the development of the town Grasemere. He built his dream house in the town and named it after his birth town Grasmere, which was apart of England's Lake District. Many believe the reason behind this was that this town reminded him of his birth place due to the amount of lakes in the area. One of the more popular ponds in the area in Brady's pond, also known as Grasmere's pond. Brady's pond was named after Philip Brady, a man that purchased the land around 1800. Another pond in the area is Cameron Lake, although only the expensive homes that surround it get to benefit from the beautiful view. Roderick Ave. is also named after the founder as well. He had also built a stone manor on what is now Radclif Rd., along with 5 other smaller ginger bread looking houses across from his house. Also a gate house to his estate stood on Stuben and W. Fingerboard up until mid-1980's. The Sir had a shipping company that connected New York to Australia. The main town in the area is Concord, Grasemere is just a division of it, along with Dongan Hills, Emerson Hill, and Old Town. Well at least in the 1800's it was this way. At this time Grasemere was the most exclusive place to live in Staten Island. The woods surrounding Brady's pond was once called Haunted Woods due to a murder that was committed in the area. 

Most of the more extravagant home built in the area around Radclif Ave, Lakeside Pl, Leslie and Whitney Ave, as well as Hillside Terr., where built by famed architect Ernest Flagg.

 Another interesting fact is the beginning of Easy Money, staring Rodney Dangerfield, is filmed on the intersection of Hylan Blvd and W. fingerboard, and Sand Lane. Also the second drummer to the rock group Twisted Sister grew up on W. Fingerboard.

Forget the Cookie Cutter Houses

These days when I look around SI i see what feels like the same houses over and over again. The semis and even the detached houses look exactly the same as the last. Builders are  trying to cram as many house on a single piece of land. This is going on right now by my house off ClayPitt. What was once a stop in the underground railroad is now the home to about 12 new semis. 

But SI wasn't always like this. Staten Island was once KNOWN for their beautiful homes with exquisite architecture. Were gong to take a look at some houses, old and new. 

This was listed as an actors home. The location is West Brighton.

Not really sure what the caption says other then West Brighton. It was too listed as an actors home.

Obviosly the Gustav House is beautiful, it was a great example of Italian Villa style home with its square cupola.

  This is the New Brighton Village Hall. The 1st one is what it once looked like while the 2nd is a now picture.  It has been abandoned since 1968.

Woodland Cottage became a landmark in 1982 and was built in 1845. One of the few left of the Gothic Revival look that was very popular in Clifton before suburbanization.

Tompkinsville looks nothing like this anymore. It was once a wealthy part as well as a desirable part of Staten Island to live in.

This Vanderbilt Home was one of 3 on SI. This one sat one New Drop Lane, but was moved back a few hundred feet. 

Couldn't really find much on this house, but it is beautiful.

Knowing what Stapleton looks like now, can you believe it once looked so nice?

Colonel William E. Ross built this as a replica of Windsor. First it was named Ross castle. It sat on a bluff over looking The Blazing Star Ferry.

Now lets compare:

Need I say more?

Pictures Of The Castle

Explosion Of The Westfield II Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry has seen it's fair share of disaster. The first time I remember was in 2003, the driver crashed into the dock at the St. George terminal. The driver of the boat plead guilty to manslaughter, word has it not only was he high but he wasn't properly trained on safety regulations. This deadly crash killed 11 people and injured 70.

The next crash was in 2010, this one was far less of a disaster then the one in 2003. No one was killed and about 37 people where hurt with only 1 serious injury. This was also the same boat, the Andrew Barberi, that was involved in the 2003 crash. This time the crash was due to a mechanical failure, the brakes went out as the boat approached the pier.

But my story is about 1871 so ill just get on with it. On July 30th, 1871 a speical boat was added to the tranist line to help deal with the mass of people traveling on Sunday afternoon. This boat was called the Westfield II. The boat wasn't normally apart of the SIT operations, but on this day was being used by it. The boat had about 400 people abored, and departed out of the City between 1 and 2 o'clock. In between this time one of the boilers under the front deck exploded causing an unspeakable amount of horrified screams and cries among passengers and people along the shore line. The explosion was so forceful The New York Times wrote about it as such: "The boiler exploded with terrific power, the whole end of the boat on which the people were gathered was torn to tatters; fragments went upward and outward. But that mass of humanity! Who can picture! Who dare to even think of it! Lifted into the air, hurled into the water, buried in the debris of the wreck, bruised mangled, scalded, roasted, men, women, children, babes, were mingled in a mass of indescribable horror." The New York Times called the Westfield "The Vessel of Death"
As it was first estimated that there were 40 deaths, but after all the passengers where accounted for it was about 125, with many more injured. This is the worst disaster in the ferry boat history since its opening in 1817. The boat was torn to shreds and there was debris floating in the waters near by. Even people who weren't on the boat where scolded and burnt.

this is a wood carving of bodies being discovered.

Following the disaster Jacob Vanderbilt, the president of the Staten Island Railway at the time, was arrested and brought up on charges for murder. There was much gossip about the man who engineered and designed the boat, for he was a colored man who wasn't really qualified as an engineer and who couldn't read, that didn't sit well with a lot of people at the time. Jacob Vanderbilt defended his employee who he had working for him for 16 years. Vanderbilt managed to escape the murder charges. The cause of the explosion is still unknown, though its thought to have something to do with a lose plate under the boiler that could have gave way. The ferry had been inspected as was deemed safe and usable for the public. The inspector said that there was nothing that seemed to be alarming at the time of the inspection. He also said that he cleared the use of 25 pounds of steam to be used, the most to be used under the legal amount. But the ferry’s superintendent, James Braisted said that the practice of  “carrying steam above the pressure allowed by the Inspector’s certificate was not uncommon” and that he “frequently had to reprimand his engineers for carrying steam in excess of that allowed by law.”

The Times ran a story about the survivors and their accounts of what happened here are a few.

Mrs. Abbie Cowan Phillips, was sitting with her husband, two infant children and paternal grandparents in a closed proximity of the ferry at the time the explosion occurred. Speaking through her son, Mrs. Phillips recollected the event:

"Mr. Phillips said that his mother still recalls the horror of the scenes as the boat went down, but clearest of all are recollections of the part her ofnw family played in the tragedy. The two tiny children and the grandparents were lost. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips were taken to the same hospital, but occupied different rooms. The wife was badly burned, and underwent what was then one of the pioneer skin-grafting operations. Mrs. Phillips had been told that her husband survived, but believed the doctors were deceiving her. As a matter of fact, her husband had been blinded, but this the hospital authorities feared to inform her. As Mrs. Phillips was recovering she was allowed to wander from ward to ward. One day as she walked about she was gladden by the sound of her husband’s voice, calling to a nurse for some attention. She rushed to him. Mr. Phillips threw his arms about her, and, in the shock and excitement of the reunion, suddenly regained his sight.
Thought for a time the doctors had abandoned hope, Mr. Phillips lived twenty years after the accident."

 Another eyewitness said:

"the forward part of the boat was lifted fifty feet in the air, the smoke stack fell, and everything was buried in the hold. Many persons were blown overboard. A father and a mother had their children blown from their arms. The water in an instant was alive with men, women, and children struggling for life. A number of persons, it is not known how many, were drowned. The debris in the fore part of the hold was first removed. The cries of the poor half boiled victims were heartrending. Stimulants were given them as they struggled beneath the beams, and oil was poured upon their burns. As fast as the wounded were recovered they were borne to the deck of another ferry boat moored alongside, where they were tenderly cared for. As fast as it could be done, they were removed to the various hospitals of the city."

 The engineer of the boat said:

"I have been employed by the Company for 16 years; I was in the fire-room five minutes before the explosion; asked the fireman, PATRICK FINNEGAN, about the water, and he said it was 'all right'; went to the boiler myself, and found the water above the third cock; went up through the engine room and noticed that the gauge indicated 27 pounds of pressure of steam; then I went on deck; in two minutes I came back, and just as I was going down the stairs to the engine room the explosion took place; I cannot say what caused the explosion; the boiler had a patch on the part where the break was; I examined it three days ago and found it in good condition."

 (* the Westfield II was named after the USS Westfield, this boat was sent out to war. I will do a post on this boat at another date)

The Big House On Richmond Hill

The Gustav A. Mayer house sits on top a hill in New Dorp on Richmond Hill Rd. It was built in 1855 and made a land mark in 1989. The house was home to famed inventor Gustav A. Mayer, who moved his confectionery business to the Island from Manhattan. The house was originally built for David R. Ryers, and older man who was robbed by the New Dorp Highway Robbers in 1897.


Mayer was a entrepreneur who was very successful in the many things he took interest in. His shop was located in Stapleton to be close to the upscale section of Staten Island. Gustav was the inventor of the sugar wafer and also made desirable Christmas tree ornaments when they became a chic possession. He sold the sugar wafer to Nabisco who now owns the rights to the cookie. His ornaments where so desirable because of the shiny smooth tin and hand painted detail. He closed down his shop and moved his business into his house 


Members of the Mayer family still live at the location and are renovating the house to restore it to its original splendor. They upkeep the land it sits on the same way Gustav did when he ran the house.

Tottenville - the town the oyster built.

                     Tottenville is considered the "End of New York". Its located on the southern most tip of Staten Island. Tottenville is home to many historic sites, and land marks. The Billop House is the southern most building in New York state and was built in 1898, in the late 17th century when Staten Island was an independent county. It was built by Captain Christopher Billop, and played a big part in Revolutionary War history, which Tottenville played some part in. The Totten family, in the 18th century owned a large amount of land on the island. After a few different names such as Unionville and Bently Dock, it was settled that the town would be called Tottenville. The towns name was changed in 1869. 

             The confrence house was also built by Christopher Billop in 1678, the family owned the house as well as the surrounding area through to 1776, when the failed meeting took place. In 1784 the property was taken over because the Billop family were Tories. 

           In the early 1900's Tottenville was a thriving town, filled with business and well known familys. Staten Island became part of New York State/city in 1898. Tottenville, with the use of the ferry that crossed the Aurther Kill into Perth Amboy, was the center of trade and travelers coming from Philly. The streets where lined with mom and pop shops and new stores and family owned businesses, even small factories, such as the Terra Cotta plant that produced decorations for the city's first skyscraper, the Woolworth Building, as well as some of the houses in Sea View. Ship and boat building were also major factors if income to Tottenville, with WWI the revival of boat building was underway though short lived and the last ship yard in Staten Island closed in 1930. Tottenville, in the late 1800's into the early 1900's was known for oyster distribution. Most of the fanciest and lavish houses built at the end of the 19th century, were built for oyster mongols. Places as far away as Europe where getting their oysters from this island. But in 1921 the farming of oysters was shut down by the New York City health department due to pollution and thus making them unsafe and unclean.  Rumors where going around that some people are trying to revive the oyster beds in Raritan Bay. The oysters actually filter the water and clean it out so this would be beneficial in more then one way. Unfortunately NJ state officials put an end to this saying that the water is not clean enough to do this and that they do not have the means to support the project long enough to find the outcome. They had to destroy all the oyster beds that they took over 2 years to build up. 
         With the opening of the outterbridge crossings in 1928, there was little need for the Peth Amboy ferry and it was used less and less until it shut down for good in 1963.Tottenville is a beautiful town with all the big old houses and sea front property, but no longer carries the charm that it once did, and no longer thrives as it had a long time ago. I love it over there though, the parks are beautiful as are all the trees and old houses, some places still look like something out of the early 1900's, with the big yards and houses on top of hills.