Misplaced Pages

#168831

108-668: Conference House (also known as Billop House ) is a stone house in the Tottenville neighborhood of Staten Island in New York City . Built by Captain Christopher Billopp some time before 1680, it is located in Conference House Park near Ward's Point , the southernmost tip of New York state, which became known as "Billop's Point" in the 18th century. The Staten Island Peace Conference , an unsuccessful attempt to find

216-634: A "temporary landfill" in 1947, the Fresh Kills Landfill was a repository of trash for the city of New York. The landfill, once the world's largest man-made structure, was closed in 2001, but it was briefly reopened for the debris from Ground Zero following the September 11 attacks in 2001. It is being converted into a park almost three times the size of Central Park and the largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years. Plans for

324-532: A college education or higher. The percentage of Tottenville and the South Shore students excelling in math rose from 48% in 2000 to 65% in 2011, though reading achievement declined from 55% to 52% during the same time period. Tottenville and the South Shore's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City. In Tottenville and the South Shore, 12% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , less than

432-459: A company of infantry. The following year, he settled on Staten Island, where he was granted a patent for 932 acres (3.8 km ) of land. According to one version of an oft-repeated but apocryphal tale, Captain Billopp's seamanship secured Staten Island to New York, rather than to New Jersey: the island would belong to New York if the captain could circumnavigate it in one day, which he did. This story

540-538: A compromise that established the maritime boundary in the middle of the Hudson River and gave Staten Island to New York. Ellis Island and Bedloe's Island , both uninhabited at the time, also became controlled by New Jersey. From 1800 to 1858, Staten Island was the location of the largest quarantine facility in the United States. Angry residents burned down the hospital compound in 1858 in a series of attacks known as

648-666: A consortium of Bridgewater Capital and the Brooklyn-based Riseman family bought 30 acres (12 ha) of the Nassau Smelting property from Lucent Technologies . Their plans to rezone the property from Manufacturing (M) to residential (RX3) in order to develop residential housing units met with criticism and opposition from the community, because the soils were contaminated from the heavy metals that were recycled during Lucent Technologies tenure of operation. The future use of this property remains undetermined. For census purposes,

756-622: A part until 1898—and Philadelphia . These were both sites of temporary capitals of the new United States. The town was the site of a ferry that crossed the Arthur Kill to the Ferry Slip in Perth Amboy, New Jersey . The ferry became less important when the Outerbridge Crossing opened in 1928, but continued to operate until 1963. Two distinctive landmarks stand at the northern approaches to

864-632: A population density of 6.8 inhabitants per acre (4,400/sq mi; 1,700/km ). The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 84.4% (19,685) White , 2.6% (599) African American , 0.1% (13) Native American , 3.1% (720) Asian , 0% (5) Pacific Islander , 0.2% (39) from other races , and 0.9% (200) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.8% (2,052) of the population. The entirety of Community District 3, which comprises Tottenville and other South Shore neighborhoods, had 159,132 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 81.3 years. This

972-659: A swift negotiated end to the American Revolutionary War , was hosted there by his heir and grandson, Colonel Christopher Billop , on September 11, 1776. The house, a National and New York City Landmark, is located at Conference House Park overlooking Raritan Bay . The house is also located within the Ward's Point Conservation Area , separately added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Captain Christopher Billopp , after years of distinguished service in

1080-506: A visit to Tottenville on March 22, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission made the designation official on April 12. After years of being uninhabited and in disrepair, the home was restored in 2017. In March 2008, over 20 blocks in the northern section of the neighborhood were changed to one-way streets. This was intended to improve traffic management on the older, narrower blocks. In 2016,

1188-704: Is 10307 (formerly "Staten Island 7, New York"). Tottenville is patrolled by the 123rd Precinct of the New York City Police Department . Tottenville has been represented in the New York State Senate by Andrew Lanza since 2007. It is represented in the New York State Assembly by Michael Reilly . The Raritan band of the Unami Indians , a branch of the Lenape or Delaware nation, were

SECTION 10

#1732837426169

1296-485: Is 42% in Tottenville and the South Shore, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 49% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , Tottenville and the South Shore are considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying . The neighborhood is composed mostly of upper-middle-class families, and it has the highest proportion of Roman Catholics than any other neighborhood on

1404-622: Is a New York City designated landmark . The Tottenville station has been the southern terminus of the Staten Island Railway since the railway was extended to the neighborhood on June 2, 1860. Today, the neighborhood of Tottenville contains the two southernmost stations along the line: Tottenville station (the southernmost railway station in New York state), and Arthur Kill station . Before Arthur Kill opened on January 21, 2017, there were two other stations which were Atlantic (named after

1512-477: Is about the same as the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 21% are between the ages of between 0–17, 26% between 25 and 44, and 29% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 8% and 16% respectively. As of 2017, the median household income in Community District 3 was $ 96,796, though

1620-646: Is located exclusively within the ZIP Code 10307. The United States Postal Service operates one post office in Tottenville, located at 228 Main Street. Tottenville and the South Shore generally have a similar rate of college-educated residents to the rest of the city as of 2018 . While 41% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 8% have less than a high school education and 51% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Staten Island residents and 43% of city residents have

1728-513: Is most likely untrue, due to conflicting information on the time Christopher Billopp took to complete the race and whether he received a personal prize or not. Mayor Michael Bloomberg perpetuated the myth by referring to it at a news conference in Brooklyn on February 20, 2007. Reliable historical documentation of the event is extremely sparse, however, and most historians conclude that it is entirely apocryphal. In 2007, The New York Times addressed

1836-569: Is served by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)'s Engine Co. 151/Ladder Co. 76, located at 7219 Amboy Road. As of 2018 , preterm births and births to teenage mothers are less common in Tottenville and the South Shore than in other places citywide. In Tottenville and the South Shore, there were 77 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 3.6 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Tottenville and

1944-492: Is served by the S59 and S78 local buses. Express bus service to and from Manhattan is provided by the SIM2 , SIM25 and SIM26 . Though no highways pass through the neighborhood, NY Route 440 and Korean War Veterans Parkway (formerly known as Richmond Parkway) are located nearby. Richmond County, New York Staten Island ( / ˈ s t æ t ən / STAT -ən ) is

2052-561: Is spelled as Eghquaons in the deed to Lubbertus van Dincklage for the purchase of Staten Island, 1657. The area was part of the Lenape homeland known as Lenapehoking . The Lenape were later called the "Delaware" by the English colonists because they inhabited both shores of what the English named the Delaware River . The island was laced with Native American foot trails, one of which followed

2160-465: Is the largest pre-European site in New York City. Legend holds that sovereignty of Staten Island was determined by Capt. Billopp's skill in circling it in one day, earning it for New York rather than to New Jersey. This has since been disproven and is in fact a myth. In 1677, the fortunes of colonial service took Capt. Billopp to New Castle on the Delaware River , where he commanded the local garrison. Upon appointment of Thomas Dongan as governor of

2268-559: Is the only borough without a New York City Department of Correction major detention center. The construction of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge , along with the other three major Staten Island bridges, created a new way for commuters and tourists to travel from New Jersey to Brooklyn, Manhattan, and areas farther east on Long Island . The network of highways running between the bridges has effectively carved up many of Staten Island's old neighborhoods. The bridge opened many areas of

SECTION 20

#1732837426169

2376-563: Is the third-smallest county in New York by land area and fourth-smallest by total area. Although Staten Island is a borough of New York City, the island is geographically part of New Jersey. Staten Island is separated from Long Island by the Narrows and from mainland New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull. Staten Island is positioned at the center of New York Bight , a sharp bend in

2484-520: The Borough of Richmond until 1975, when its name was changed to Borough of Staten Island. Staten Island has sometimes been called "the forgotten borough" by inhabitants who feel neglected by the city government and the media. It has also been referred to as the "borough of parks" due to its 12,300 acres of protected parkland and over 170 parks. The North Shore —especially the neighborhoods of St. George , Tompkinsville , Clifton , and Stapleton —is

2592-645: The Continental Congress in what is known today as the Staten Island Peace Conference . Benjamin Franklin , John Adams , and Edward Rutledge rowed over from patriot-held Perth Amboy , New Jersey. The meeting lasted for three hours and ended with the Americans politely declining the diplomatically handcuffed Howe's offer, leading to another seven years of conflict. Conference House is situated on

2700-833: The Hudson River in Palisades Interstate Park . The sill extends southward beyond the cliffs in Jersey City beneath the Upper New York Harbor and resurfaces on Staten Island. The Palisades sill date from the Early Jurassic period, 192 to 186 million years ago. Staten Island has been at the southern terminus of various periods of glaciation . The most recent, the Wisconsin glaciation , ended approximately 12,000 years ago. The accumulated rock and sediment deposited at

2808-469: The Kill Van Kull was frozen over, Lord Stirling led an unsuccessful Patriot raid from New Jersey on the western shore of Staten Island. It was repulsed in part by troops led by British Commander Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings . In June 1780, Wilhelm von Knyphausen , commander of Britain's Hessian auxiliaries , led many raids and a full assault into New Jersey from Staten Island with

2916-520: The New York City Board of Estimate , which had given equal representation to the five boroughs. Dinkins and the city government opposed a non-binding secession referendum, contending that the vote should not be permitted by the state unless the city issued a home rule message supporting it, which the city would not. Governor Mario Cuomo disagreed, and the vote went forward in 1993. Ultimately, 65% of Staten island residents voted to secede through

3024-715: The New York City Council by Joe Borelli , in the New York State Senate by Andrew Lanza , and in the New York State Assembly by Michael Reilly . Tottenville is located within Staten Island Community District 3 . The Stadium Theatre, a 1,037-seat movie theater, was located in Tottenville from 1927 to 1957. In January 1969 it re-opened as the New Stadium Theatre and was a rock-music venue hosting bands such as The Brooklyn Bridge . By

3132-564: The Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne was restored after a fire and is now used as a home for children. During an early period of industrialization, many small factories once dotted the neighborhood's western shoreline, but jobs have shifted and most are no longer in operation. Boat construction also once flourished along the shoreline, but the industry was rendered obsolete in 1900 when ships and commercial boats began being constructed of steel rather than wood. During World War I , shipbuilding

3240-647: The Rose and Crown Tavern , near the junction of present New Dorp Lane and Richmond Road. There the representatives of the British government reportedly received their first notification of the Declaration of Independence . In August 1776, the British forces crossed the Narrows to Brooklyn and outflanked the American forces at the Battle of Long Island , resulting in the British control of

3348-640: The Rossville section of Staten Island, where they were first found near the old Rossville Post Office building. At the time of European contact, the island was inhabited by the Raritan band of the Unami division of the Lenape . In Lenape , one of the Algonquian languages , Staten Island was called Aquehonga Manacknong , meaning "as far as the place of the bad woods", or Eghquhous , meaning "the bad woods". The name

Conference House - Misplaced Pages Continue

3456-503: The Royal Navy , came to America in 1674. He was granted a land patent on 932 acres (3.7 km) on the southernmost tip of Staten Island. Archaeological evidence, including shell middens and digs conducted by The American Museum of Natural History in 1895, have shown that the Raritan band of the Lenape camped in the area and used the location as a burial ground. Known as Burial Ridge , it

3564-644: The Staten Island Quarantine War . In 1860, parts of Castleton and Southfield were made into a new town, Middletown . The Village of New Brighton in the town of Castleton was incorporated in 1866, and in 1872 the Village of New Brighton annexed all the remainder of the Town of Castleton and became coterminous with the town. An 1887 movement to incorporate Staten Island as a city ended up resulting in nothing. The towns of Staten Island were dissolved in 1898 with

3672-529: The Staten Island Railway , which runs from the ferry terminal at St. George to Tottenville . Staten Island is the only borough not connected to the New York City Subway system. The free Staten Island Ferry connects the borough to Manhattan across New York Harbor . It provides views of the Statue of Liberty , Ellis Island , and Lower Manhattan . As in much of North America, human habitation appeared on

3780-587: The extirpation of large mammals on the island. Evidence of the first permanent Native American settlements and agriculture are thought to date from about 5,000 years ago, although early archaic habitation evidence has been found in multiple locations on the island. Rossville points are distinct arrowheads that define a Native American cultural period from the Archaic period to the Early Woodland period , dating from about 1500 to 100 BC. They are named for

3888-407: The 1960s and 1970s and is now very suburban. The West Shore is the island's least populated and most industrial part. Motor traffic can reach the borough from Brooklyn by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and from New Jersey by the Outerbridge Crossing , Goethals Bridge and Bayonne Bridge . Staten Island has Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus lines and an MTA rapid transit line,

3996-460: The 1970s it had become the site of a roller rink . It is currently closed and plans have not been made to reopen the theater. Tottenville and the South Shore are patrolled by the 123rd Precinct of the NYPD , located at 116 Main Street. The 123rd Precinct ranked safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. As of 2018 , with a non-fatal assault rate of 25 per 100,000 people, Tottenville and

4104-493: The 5,100-acre (21 km ) manorial estate of colonial governor Thomas Dongan in the northeastern hills known as the "Lordship or Manor of Cassiltown", along with the North, South, and West divisions. These divisions later evolved into the four towns of Castleton , Northfield , Southfield , and Westfield . In 1698, the population was 727. The government granted land patents in rectangular blocks of 80 acres (320,000 m ), with

4212-460: The Billops went to Canada. One hundred years after the conference the house was used as a hotel, and a rat poison factory, before subsequently being abandoned and vandalized. In 1901 Assemblyman Van Name of Richmond County, New York , introduced a bill to acquire the house and mark it for historic preservation. However, the house was not immediately recognized for preservation. The city finally acquired

4320-469: The Declaration of Independence, and the conference ended without an agreement. On August 22, 1777, the Battle of Staten Island occurred between the British forces and several companies of the 2nd Canadian Regiment fighting alongside other American companies. The battle was inconclusive, though both sides surrendered over a hundred troops as prisoners. The Americans finally withdrew. In early 1780, while

4428-582: The Dutch Staaten Eylandt , anglicized as "Staten Island", became part of the new English colony of New York . In 1670, the Native Americans ceded all claims to Staten Island to the English in a deed to Governor Francis Lovelace . In 1671, in order to encourage an expansion of the Dutch settlements, the English resurveyed Oude Dorp (which became known as 'Old Town') and expanded the lots along

Conference House - Misplaced Pages Continue

4536-518: The Dutch and the local tribe. In 1661, the first permanent Dutch settlement was established at Oude Dorp (Dutch for "Old Village") by a small group of Dutch, Walloon , and French Huguenot families, just south of the Narrows near South Beach. Many French Huguenots had gone to the Netherlands as refugees from the religious wars in France, suffering persecution for their Protestant faith, and some joined

4644-537: The Native Americans signed a deed to Lubbertus van Dincklage, attorney of Henrick van der Capelle tho Ryssel, for the purchase of all indigenous lands on Staten Island. However, this deed was annulled when the Dutch purchasers failed to deliver the promised goods for the land a few months later. At the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1667, the Dutch ceded New Netherland to England in the Treaty of Breda , and

4752-406: The New York City government classifies Tottenville as part of a larger neighborhood tabulation area called Charleston-Richmond Valley-Tottenville. Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of Charleston-Richmond Valley-Tottenville was 23,313, a change of 4,981 (21.4%) from the 18,332 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 3,432.93 acres (1,389.26 ha), the neighborhood had

4860-639: The Preservation League of Staten Island Award: 88 Bentley Street, 24 Brighton Street, 213 Wood Avenue, 115 Bentley Street, 7647 Amboy Road, 7639 Amboy Road, and the Tottenville Branch of the New York Public Library . 88 Bentley Street has been photographed as an example of Staten Island's carefully restored Victorian homes in New York City - The Five Boroughs: A Photographic Tour (1997) by Carol M. Highsmith and Ted Landphair . In addition,

4968-430: The South Shore have a low population of residents who are uninsured . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 4%, less than the citywide rate of 12%, though this was based on a small sample size. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in Tottenville and the South Shore is 0.0066 milligrams per cubic metre (6.6 × 10  oz/cu ft), less than

5076-520: The South Shore's rate of violent crimes per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 193 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole. The 123rd Precinct has a substantially lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 70.5% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported two murders, three rapes, 22 robberies, 53 felony assaults, 42 burglaries, 271 grand larcenies, and 126 grand larcenies auto in 2022. Tottenville

5184-534: The aim of defeating George Washington and the Continental Army . Although the raids were successful in the Newark and Elizabeth areas, the advance was halted at Connecticut Farms (Union) and the Battle of Springfield . British forces remained on Staten Island for the remainder of the war. Most Patriots fled after the British occupation, and the sentiment of those who remained was predominantly Loyalist . Even so,

5292-642: The approval of a new city charter making Staten Island an independent city , but implementation was blocked in the State Assembly . In the 1980s, the United States Navy had a base on Staten Island called Naval Station New York . It had two sections: a Strategic Homeport in Stapleton and a larger section near Fort Wadsworth , where the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge enters the island. The base

5400-494: The area was named is most popular for fishing, rather than swimming or sunbathing. During the first half of the 20th century, several hotels dotted the shoreline, including the Shore House Hotel. The Coral Bay Cafe restaurant operated there but was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy . Many large, stately homes built in Tottenville in the 19th century remain standing. But in the early 21st century, land developers have been buying up

5508-431: The borough to residential and commercial development from the 1960s onward, especially in the central and southern parts of the borough, which had been largely undeveloped. Staten Island's population doubled from 221,991 in 1960 to 443,728 in 2000. Nevertheless, Staten Island remained less developed than the rest of the city. A New York Times article in 1972 stated that despite the borough having 333,000 residents, parts of

SECTION 50

#1732837426169

5616-473: The city approved oyster harvesting again. Until the late 1950s, Tottenville 8 was one of the two telephone exchanges on the island with operators. The other was Honeywood 6. When dial service arrived, they were combined to become YUkon 4. During the 1990s, the section of Tottenville southeast of Hylan Boulevard , until then nearly uninhabited, was an area of intense levels of new home construction. The district's population density and crime rate still rank among

5724-413: The city average. Seventeen percent of Tottenville and the South Shore residents are smokers , which is more than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Tottenville and the South Shore, 26% of residents are obese , 9% are diabetic , and 22% have high blood pressure —compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 17% of children are obese, compared to

5832-521: The city park of the same name. The Billop family, who developed the estate in 1678, continued to own it and the surrounding property during the 1776 meeting. Because they were Loyalists during the war, their land was confiscated in 1784. Tottenville has a strong Victorian architecture heritage, akin to neighborhoods on Staten Island's North Shore . This is unique to this South Shore neighborhood. The other South Shore areas were developed much later. Seven buildings in Tottenville have been honored with

5940-453: The citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 89% of high school students in Tottenville and the South Shore graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%. Tottenville High School , a public school, was originally located in the neighborhood, but a new campus was opened approximately three miles to the north, in the neighborhood of Huguenot , in 1971 ( Totten Intermediate School 34 or I.S. 34, an intermediate school , now occupies

6048-477: The citywide average of 20%. Ninety-five percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is more than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 88% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", more than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Tottenville and the South Shore, there are 4 bodegas . The nearest major hospital is Staten Island University Hospital South Campus in Prince's Bay. Tottenville

6156-419: The collision zone and now forms the oldest bedrock strata of Staten Island, the serpentinite . This strata of the Lower Paleozoic (approximately 430 million years old) consists predominantly of the serpentine minerals, antigorite , chrysotile , and lizardite ; it also contains asbestos and talc . At the end of the Paleozoic era (248 million years ago) all major continental masses were joined into

6264-576: The colonies, residents of the island were so uninterested that no representatives were sent to the First Continental Congress , the only county in New York to not send anyone. This had economic repercussions in the months up through 1776, where New Jersey towns such as Elizabethport, Woodbridge , and Dover instituted boycotts on doing business with islanders. On March 17, 1776, the British forces under Sir William Howe evacuated Boston and sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia . From Halifax, Howe prepared to attack New York City, which then consisted entirely of

6372-406: The colony of New York was divided into ten counties. As part of this process, Staten Island, as well as several minor neighboring islands, was designated as Richmond County . The name derives from the title of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond , an illegitimate son of King Charles II . In 1687 and 1688, the English divided the island into four administrative divisions based on natural features:

6480-451: The colony of New York, he returned to Staten Island and became active in the local government. He was further rewarded by another patent, expanding his Staten Island property to 1,600 acres (6.4 km). It is difficult to ascertain exactly when his manor house was built, but one surviving map shows that a building existed on the site of the Conference House before 1680. The house was passed down to his great grandson Christopher Billop , who

6588-453: The consolidation of the City of Greater New York , as Richmond County became one of the five boroughs of the expanded city. Although consolidated into the City of Greater New York in 1898, the county sheriff of Staten Island maintained control of the jail system, unlike the other boroughs, which had gradually transferred control of the jails to the Department of Correction. The jail system was not transferred until January 1, 1942. Staten Island

SECTION 60

#1732837426169

6696-424: The continent of Laurentia and the plate containing the continent of Gondwanaland were converging, the Iapetus Ocean that separated the two continents gradually closed, and the resulting collision between the plates formed the Appalachian Mountains . During the early stages of this mountain building known as the Taconic orogeny , a piece of ocean crust from the Iapetus Ocean broke off and became incorporated into

6804-407: The course of the Hudson River have placed it alternatively through the present course of the Raritan River , south of the island, or through present-day Flushing Bay and Jamaica Bay . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , Richmond County has a total area of 102.5 square miles (265 km ), of which 58.5 square miles (152 km ) is land and 44.0 square miles (114 km ) (43%) is water. It

6912-425: The defunct Atlantic Terra Cotta Company factory nearby) and Nassau (referring to Nassau Smelting and Refining, the original name of the factory later taken over by Lucent Technologies), which closed on the same day that Arthur Kill was opened, as Arthur Kill replaced both of them. Atlantic and Nassau stations are now closed and demolished. The 14-mile trip to the St. George Terminal takes 42 minutes. Tottenville

7020-448: The eastern edge of New Jersey was located at the Hudson River 's shoreline during high tide, which would give New York control of all the docks and wharves on the Hudson River. New Jersey argued that the maritime boundary should be down the middle of the Hudson River and then continue out to the Atlantic Ocean, which would give New Jersey control of the docks and wharves as well as Staten Island. Vice President Martin Van Buren negotiated

7128-405: The emigration to New Netherland. At one point nearly a third of the residents of the Island spoke French. The last vestige of Oude Dorp is the name of the present-day neighborhood of Old Town adjacent to Old Town Road. Staten Island was not spared the bloodshed that culminated in Kieft's War . In the summer of 1641 and in 1642, Native American tribes laid waste to Old Town. On July 10, 1657,

7236-422: The evening to Billop's Point. After the cessation of hostilities and British withdrawal from the former colonies the house was confiscated by the state of New York with no recompense to the Billop family. However, many who suffered confiscation, particularly those who were regarded as most notorious by the rebels, later received some form of compensation from the British government. After the revolution, most of

7344-411: The family of Canadian historian Peter Fisher , John Dunn, who founded St. Andrews, New Brunswick , and Abraham Jones , fled to Canada, and their estates were subdivided and sold. Staten Island was occupied by the British longer than any single part of the Thirteen Colonies. On July 4, 1827, the end of slavery in New York state was celebrated at Swan Hotel, in the West Brighton neighborhood. Rooms at

7452-547: The first floor to the basement, painting the facade, and restoring the old well. The second floor was then restored, and a floor in the attic was created. The project was completed in 1937, and the house was dedicated on May 15, 1937. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966. "September 11th, 1776 - America's First Attempt at Peace" Authors Ernest and Gregory Schimizzi, Albany, 1976, New York State Bicentennial Commission, http://wvvh.com/images/Sept_11_1776.pdf Tottenville, Staten Island The settlement

7560-430: The harbor and the capture of New York City shortly afterwards. Three weeks later, on September 11, 1776, Sir William's brother, Lord Howe , received a delegation of Americans consisting of Benjamin Franklin , Edward Rutledge , and John Adams at the Conference House on the southwestern tip of the island on the former estate of Christopher Billopp. The Americans refused a peace offer from Howe in exchange for withdrawing

7668-422: The hotel were reserved months in advance as local abolitionists, including prominent free blacks, prepared for the festivities. Speeches, pageants, picnics, and fireworks marked the celebration, which lasted for two days. In the early 19th century, New Jersey and New York disputed the location of their maritime boundary. The original charters were of no help because they were worded ambiguously. New York argued that

7776-609: The house in 1926, at which point it was in danger of being razed. Conference House Park was created the same year. A nonprofit organization, the Conference House Association, was formed; in 1929, the Municipal Assembly of the City of New York placed the house under the association's aegis. The association subsequently restored the house in a series of small projects, which included building a new roof as well as stairs from

7884-464: The island (94% Roman Catholic). In the mid-2000s the first Mexican immigrants settled here. There have also been a growing number of Coptic Orthodox Christians from Egypt; as of 2012, the Virgin St. Mary and St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Tottenville is one of two Coptic parishes on Staten Island. Tottenville's white Population is 60% ethnic Italian as of 2012. The neighborhood is represented in

7992-460: The island fairly rapidly after the Wisconsin glaciation . Archaeologists have recovered tool evidence of Clovis culture activity dating from about 14,000 years ago. This evidence was first discovered in 1917 in the Charleston section of the island. Various Clovis artifacts have been discovered since then, on property owned by Mobil Oil . The island was probably abandoned later, possibly because of

8100-408: The island still maintained a bucolic atmosphere with woods and marshes. Throughout the 1980s, a movement to secede from the city steadily grew in popularity, notably championed by longtime New York state senator and former Republican Party mayoral nominee John J. Marchi . The campaign reached its peak during the mayoral term of David Dinkins (1990–1993), after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated

8208-476: The island's most urban area. It contains the designated St. George Historic District and the St. Paul's Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District, which feature large Victorian houses. The East Shore is home to the 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (4-kilometer) FDR Boardwalk , the world's fourth-longest boardwalk . The South Shore , site of the 17th-century Dutch and French Huguenot settlement, developed rapidly beginning in

8316-512: The islanders found the demands of supporting the troops to be heavy. The British army kept headquarters in neighborhoods such as Bulls Head . Many buildings and churches were destroyed for their materials, and the military's demand for resources resulted in an extensive deforestation by the end of the war. The British army again used the island as a staging ground for its final evacuation of New York City on December 5, 1783. After their departure, many Loyalist landowners, such as Christopher Billop ,

8424-481: The issue in a news article, which concluded that this event was heavily embellished over the years and almost certainly originated in local folklore. YouTuber CGP Grey addressed the story of the Staten Island race and its historical discrepancies in a 2019 video, in which he concluded that Gabriel Disosway, a local chronicler in Staten Island, was responsible for originating the legend in the mid-1800s. In 1683,

8532-494: The locally prominent Totten family. Their names appear on tombstones in the cemetery of Bethel Methodist Church. Several Totten family members were Loyalists during the American Revolution and served under Captain Christopher Billopp . During the colonial period and for a significant time thereafter, Tottenville was an important waypoint for travelers between New York City—of which Staten Island did not formally become

8640-557: The lowest in New York City. Until the 2000s, commercial development had largely been restricted to the Main Street corridor in the heart of the neighborhood. A second commercial core began to emerge at the north end of the community along Page Avenue and west of Amboy Road at this time. Further expansion on the neighborhood's north end was seen in 2005 with the redevelopment of the old Nassau Smelting plant. Site clean up began in October 2006, and

8748-408: The median income in Tottenville individually was $ 81,478. In 2018, an estimated 11% of Tottenville and the South Shore residents lived in poverty, compared to 17% in all of Staten Island and 20% in all of New York City. One in sixteen residents (6%) were unemployed, compared to 6% in Staten Island and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent,

8856-504: The most desirable lands along the coastline and inland waterways. By 1708, the entire island had been divided up in this fashion, creating 166 small farms and two large manorial estates, the Dongan estate and a 1,600 acres (6.5 km ) parcel on the southwestern tip of the island belonging to Christopher Billopp. The first county seat was established in New Dorp in what was called Stony Brook at

8964-464: The mouth of which lies immediately to the south of Arthur Kill's entry to the bay (which is also sometimes reckoned as being part of the Atlantic Ocean ). The Conference House was built by Christopher Billop and so named because it was the site of negotiations to end the American Revolutionary War in 1776, but these were unsuccessful. The historic residence has been preserved as the centerpiece of

9072-488: The neighborhood: the Bethel United Methodist Church , erected in 1840 and rebuilt on the same site in 1886 after a fire destroyed the original structure. Secondly, a now abandoned factory was built in 1900 as Nassau Smelting's plant. It was later used for recycling by Lucent Technologies and closed in 2001. Tottenville is bounded on the west and south by the Arthur Kill , and on the east by Raritan Bay ,

9180-618: The original high school building). One of the area's oldest buildings is the old building of P.S.1 (the Tottenville School), dating from 1878, and is unique for its traditional sloped roof. Today it is still in operation, now served by a second, newer building as well, built in 1929. In 2000, a new elementary school, P.S.6 (the Corporal Allan F. Kivlehan School), was opened to serve eastern Tottenville's growing population, as well as other neighboring areas. Tottenville's local Catholic school

9288-556: The original inhabitants of all Staten Island, including Tottenville. The largest pre-European burial ground, known as Burial Ridge , is located in what is now Conference House Park . The village was originally named Bentley Manor by one of its first settlers, Captain Christopher Billop (1638–1726), after a small ship he owned named the Bentley . In 1869 the district was renamed as Tottenville , apparently in honor of John Totten and

9396-458: The park include a bird-nesting island, public roads, boardwalks, soccer and baseball fields, bridle paths, and a 5,000-seat stadium. Today, freshwater and tidal wetlands, fields, birch thickets, and a coastal oak maritime forest, as well as areas dominated by non-native plant species, are all within the boundaries of Fresh Kills.   During the Paleozoic Era , the tectonic plate containing

9504-458: The property on which several of these houses have stood, with the intention of demolishing them and constructing townhouses on the property. The fate of 7484 Amboy Road, built circa 1870 as the parsonage of Bethel Methodist Church and contained an extremely large backyard, became the focus of an intense local controversy in March 2005. The community opposed plans by builder John Grossi, who had purchased

9612-417: The property, to raze the house and construct five townhouse units on the site. On March 17 Grossi spray-painted graffiti on the house, including a threat to fill it with low-income tenants under the federal Section 8 housing program. The public outcry prompted New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg to have the home declared a landmark, and prevented its demolition. Bloomberg announced his decision during

9720-606: The ship La Dauphine and anchored for one night. The Dutch did not establish a permanent settlement on Staaten Eylandt for many decades. Its name derived from the Staten Generaal , the parliament of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands . From 1639 to 1655, Cornelis Melyn and David de Vries made three separate attempts to establish one there, but each time the settlement was destroyed in conflicts between

9828-425: The shore in the Tottenville section, where oyster shells larger than 12 inches (300 mm) are sometimes found. Burial Ridge , a Lenape burial ground on a bluff overlooking Raritan Bay in Tottenville , is the largest pre-European burial ground in New York City. Bodies have been reported unearthed at Burial Ridge from 1858 onward. After conducting independent research, which included unearthing bodies interred at

9936-522: The shore to the south. These lots were settled primarily by Dutch families and became known as Nieuwe Dorp (meaning 'New Village'), which later became anglicized as New Dorp . Captain Christopher Billopp , after years of distinguished service in the Royal Navy, came to America in 1674 along with the newly appointed royal governor of New York and the Jerseys Sir Edmund Andros, in charge of

10044-461: The site, ethnologist and archaeologist George H. Pepper was contracted in 1895 to conduct paid archaeological research at Burial Ridge by the American Museum of Natural History . The burial ground today is unmarked and lies within Conference House Park . The first recorded European contact on the island was in 1524 by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano who sailed through The Narrows on

10152-487: The south side of the ridge near the course of present-day Richmond Road and Amboy Road . The Lenape did not live in fixed encampments but moved seasonally, using slash and burn agriculture. Shellfish was a staple of their diet, including the Eastern oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ) abundant in the waterways throughout the present-day New York City region. Evidence of their habitation can still be seen in shell middens along

10260-502: The southern end of Manhattan Island . General George Washington led the entire Continental Army to New York City in anticipation of the British attack. Howe used the strategic location of Staten Island as a staging ground for the invasion. Over 140 British ships arrived over the summer of 1776 and anchored off the shores of Staten Island at the entrance to New York Harbor. The British soldiers and Hessian mercenaries numbered about 30,000. Howe established his headquarters in New Dorp at

10368-409: The southernmost borough of New York City , coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York . The borough is separated from the adjacent state of 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 495,747 in the 2020 Census , Staten Island is the least populated New York City borough but

10476-572: The southernmost point of New York State, at what was originally known as "Billop's Point", today's Ward's Point . It was from this site, where the mouth of Arthur Kill juts out into Raritan Bay , that a raid on October 25, 1779, known as "Simcoe's Raid", was conducted upon patriot-held New Jersey by John Graves Simcoe , leader of the Tory unit the Queen's Rangers . In A History Of The Operations Of A Partisan Corps Called The Queen's Rangers , which he wrote after

10584-562: The supercontinent of Pangaea . The Palisades Sill has been designated a National Natural Landmark , being "the best example of a thick diabase sill in the United States". It underlies a portion of northwest Staten Island, with a visible outcropping in Travis , off Travis Road in the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge . This is the same formation that appears in New Jersey and upstate New York along

10692-408: The terminus of the glacier is known as the terminal moraine present along the central portion of the island. The evidence of these glacial periods is visible in the remaining wooded areas of Staten Island in the form of glacial erratics and kettle ponds . At the retreat of the ice sheet, Staten Island was connected by land to Long Island, as the Narrows had not yet formed. Geologists' reckonings of

10800-465: The third largest in land area at 58.5 sq mi (152 km ); it is also the least densely populated and most suburban borough in the city. A home to the Lenape Native American's, the island was settled by Dutch colonists in the 17th century. It was one of the 12 original counties of New York state. Staten Island was consolidated with New York City in 1898 . It was formerly known as

10908-575: The time. In 1729, the county seat was moved to the village of Richmond Town, located at the headwaters of the Fresh Kills near the center of the island. By 1771, the island's population had grown to 2,847. Staten Islanders were solidly supportive of the Crown, and the island played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War . General George Washington once called Islanders "our most inveterate enemies". As support of independence spread throughout

11016-477: The war, he mentions: The batteaux, and boats, which were appointed to be at Billop's-point, so as to pass the whole over by twelve o'clock at night, did not arrive till three o'clock in the morning. Billop's point is mentioned in the journal of Major André: Oct. 25 The Regiments at Amboy received Orders to strike their tents and send them with their baggage to the water's side. Those at Staten Island had orders to leave theirs standing, and repair by 8 o'clock in

11124-480: Was Our Lady Help of Christians School, which was run under Our Lady Help of Christians Parish . The school dates back to 1904. It was announced in February, 2019 that this school would close at the end of the 2018–2019 school year. The New York Public Library (NYPL)'s Tottenville branch is located at 7430 Amboy Road. The one-story Carnegie library building was designed by Carrère and Hastings and opened in 1904. It

11232-549: Was closed in 1994 through the Base Realignment and Closure process because of its small size and the expense of basing personnel there. Fresh Kills and its tributaries are part of the largest tidal wetland ecosystem in the region. Its creeks and wetlands have been designated a Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . Opened along Fresh Kills as

11340-539: Was commissioned a colonel and led Loyalist forces against the Colonials in the American Revolution . On September 11, 1776, British loyalist Colonel Christopher Billop , commander of a Tory regiment in the conflict, hosted an informal diplomatic conference aimed at finding an early end to the nascent American Revolution . Lord Howe , commander in chief of British forces in America, arranged to meet with representatives of

11448-424: Was originally named Bentley Manor by one of its first settlers, Captain Christopher Billop (1638–1726), a member of the Royal Navy, after his own ship. In 1869 it was renamed as Tottenville after John Totten and his prominent local family of that name, some of whom served as Loyalists under Billop during the American Revolutionary War . Tottenville is part of Staten Island Community District 3 and its ZIP Code

11556-501: Was revived here, but that proved temporary. Tottenville's last shipyard closed in 1930. Harvesting oysters from surrounding waters was important to the economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But this practice ceased in 1916 when the New York City Health Department determined that pollution made it unsafe. After the decrease in waterfront industries and decades of working to improve water quality, in 2005,

11664-445: Was scheduled to be finished within a year. The site had suffered chemical contamination, as it was principally used to recycle copper and other metals from old wires. Mill Creek, which runs through the site, was also scheduled to be cleaned as part of the project. Tottenville Beach was largely undeveloped until the 1990s. It is exclusively residential, and is bordered on the south and west by Conference House Park. The beach for which

#168831