The South Ferry was a ferry

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 route connecting Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

 and Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

, New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, joining Whitehall Street (Manhattan)

Whitehall (Manhattan)

Whitehall Street is a street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, about four blocks long. It extends from the southern end of Broadway to the southern end of FDR Drive, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, on landfill beyond Stuyvesant's 17th-century house-site...

 and Atlantic Avenue (Brooklyn) across the East River

East River

The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...

. Though the ferry is no longer operated, the name is still in use on the Manhattan side for the area around the foot of Whitehall Street, where the Staten Island Ferry

Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.-Overview:...

 lands (see South Ferry, Manhattan).

History

The South Ferry Company established the South Ferry on May 16, 1836 to connect Lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...

 to the Long Island Rail Road

Long Island Rail Road

The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...

, newly-opened a month before to Jamaica

Jamaica, Queens

Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...

. The Fulton Ferry Company, which then operated only the Fulton Ferry

Fulton Ferry (ferry)

The Fulton Ferry was the first ferry route connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York City, United States, joining Fulton Street and Fulton Street across the East River...

, merged with the South Ferry Company in 1839 to form the New York and Brooklyn Union Ferry Company.