Perth Amboy Ferry Slip

The Perth Amboy Ferry Slip, located on Arthur Kill in Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, was once a vital ferry slip for boats in New York Harbor. It was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places 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.[3][4]

Perth Amboy Ferry Slip
The Perth Amboy Ferry Slip in fall of 2011
LocationFoot of Smith Street
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Coordinates40°30′25″N 74°15′43″W
Built1904
NRHP reference No.78001773[1]
NJRHP No.1898[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 12, 1981
Designated NJRHPJuly 12, 1978

History

Perth Amboy is located at the mouth of the Raritan River at the Raritan Bay, an arm of the Lower New York Bay. Perth Amboy served as the capital from 1686 until 1776. In 1684, it became the capital of East Jersey and remained so after the union of East and West Jersey in 1702, becoming an alternate colonial capital with Burlington until 1776.[5] 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 and Philadelphia. The slip was later used to transport newly arrived immigrants from Ellis Island, many of whom remained in the town.[6]

The native Lenape provided crossings to settlers as early as 1680.[7] The longest-running ferry service crossed the Arthur Kill to Tottenville, Staten Island, with regular service beginning in 1709[3] or 1719 operated by Christopher Billopp.[8][9] Steam service was introduced late 19th century by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and ran until 1943,[10][11] and was served by the Staten Island Railway at the Tottenville station. In the early motoring age the ferry was an important link for travelers to the Jersey Shore[12] It became less important with the 1928 opening of the Outerbridge Crossing, but continued operating until October 17, 1963.[13]

  • Perth Amboy-Tottenville Ferry connected to the Staten Island Railway
  • Looking toward the Perth Amboy Ferry Slip in the direction of departure towards Tottenville

See also

References
  1. "New Jersey - Middlesex County". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  2. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Middlesex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. Sep 9, 2011. p. 7. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  3. "The History of Perth Amboy". City of Perth Amboy. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  4. "Perth Amboy". Raritan/Millstone Guidebook. www.raritanmillstone.org. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  5. New Jersey History's Mysteries Archived 2011-07-14 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed May 29, 2007. "Later they moved the capital to Perth Amboy in 1686, and when New Jersey was divided into East and West Jersey, Burlington became the capital of the latter, and Perth Amboy remained the capital of the former."
  6. Wang, Paul W.; Massopust, Katherine A. (2009), Perth Amboy, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7385-6241-4
  7. "Glimpse of History: Waterfront way station in Perth Amboy connects New York and Philadelphia". The Star-Ledger. Newark. September 11, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  8. Adams, Arthur G., The Hudson Through the Years, Fordham University Place, ISBN 978-0-8232-1676-5
  9. Whitehead, William A (1885), Contributions Early History of Perth Amboy and Adjoining Country, Appleby and Co.
  10. Baxter, Raymond J.; Adams, Arthur G. (1999), Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and Stories of a Deckhand, Fordham University Press, ISBN 978-0-8232-1954-4
  11. "Baltimore and Ohio to Operate on Staten Island" (PDF). The New York Times. October 23, 1895. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  12. "New Perth Amboy Ferry Planned" (PDF). The New York Times. January 8, 1922. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  13. "Perth Amboy Ferry Makes Its Last Run". The Asbury Park Press. October 17, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved September 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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