Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx
Encyclopedia
Spuyten Duyvil is the name of a subsection of the Riverdale section of the Bronx
in New York City
. The area is named after Spuyten Duyvil Creek
, a Dutch name with various historical spellings and meanings, the most plausible of which is "Spinning Devil", "Devil's Whirlpool", or "Devil's Spate". The name Spuyten Duyvil currently refers to the southernmost section of Riverdale, below West 232nd Street (or below 239th Street by some definitions - though this definition is considerably less accurate.)
This neighborhood is home to The Henry Hudson Memorial Park and the Henry Hudson Bridge
, which connects it to the island of Manhattan
. It is also the location of the Spuyten Duyvil train station
, which is served by the Hudson Line
of the Metro-North Railroad
.
Saint Nicholas Avenue
in Manhattan was originally an Indian path named Weekquaeskeek, which accommodated travelers going north to Spuyten Duyvil.
, then Governor of New Amsterdam
, got wind that the British Navy was going to invade the city. He dispatched Anthony Van Corlaer
, to ride up to the northernmost point of Manhattan Island and blow his trumpet, a common means of summoning the people. As he neared the shores where the Hudson meets the Harlem River, Anthony couldn't cross. It was a stormy evening when Van Corlaer arrived at the upper end of the island, and as no ferryman was available Van Corlaer vowed to swim across the river "in spite of the devil" (Dutch: "in spuyt den duyvil"), Halfway across, legend has it that the devil pulled Anthony under, and, while he was able to escape his grasp, he was too tired to continue swimming and drowned there despite his escape. From then on, the little area in the Bronx where Anthony would have come to shore is called Spuyten Duyvil.
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
in 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...
. The area is named after Spuyten Duyvil Creek
Spuyten Duyvil Creek
Spuyten Duyvil Creek is a channel connecting the Hudson River to the Harlem River Ship Canal, and on to the Harlem River in New York City, separating the island of Manhattan from the Bronx and the rest of the mainland. The neighborhood named Spuyten Duyvil lies to the north of the creek.Spuyten...
, a Dutch name with various historical spellings and meanings, the most plausible of which is "Spinning Devil", "Devil's Whirlpool", or "Devil's Spate". The name Spuyten Duyvil currently refers to the southernmost section of Riverdale, below West 232nd Street (or below 239th Street by some definitions - though this definition is considerably less accurate.)
This neighborhood is home to The Henry Hudson Memorial Park and the Henry Hudson Bridge
Henry Hudson Bridge
The Henry Hudson Bridge is a steel arch toll bridge in New York City across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek. It connects the Spuyten Duyvil section of The Bronx with the northern end of Manhattan to the south. On the Manhattan side, it touches Inwood Hill Park. The bridge was designed by David B. Steinman...
, which connects it to the island of 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...
. It is also the location of the Spuyten Duyvil train station
Spuyten Duyvil (Metro-North station)
The Spuyten Duyvil Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood of the Bronx, New York via the Hudson Line. Trains leave for New York City every 25 to 35 minutes on weekdays...
, which is served by the Hudson Line
Hudson Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line is a commuter rail line running north from New York City along the east shore of the Hudson River. Metro-North service ends at Poughkeepsie, with Amtrak's Empire Corridor trains continuing north to and beyond Albany...
of the Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
.
Saint Nicholas Avenue
Saint Nicholas Avenue (Manhattan)
Saint Nicholas Avenue is a major New York City street. It runs north-south between 193rd Street and 111th Streets in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It goes through the neighborhoods of Washington Heights, Harlem, Hamilton Heights, and Inwood...
in Manhattan was originally an Indian path named Weekquaeskeek, which accommodated travelers going north to Spuyten Duyvil.
Folklore
The tale of how Spuyten Duyvil got its name is said to be that Peter StuyvesantPeter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
, then Governor of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
, got wind that the British Navy was going to invade the city. He dispatched Anthony Van Corlaer
Anthony Van Corlaer
Anthony Van Corlaer was a trumpeter for the garrison in New Amsterdam. According to legend, Peter Stuyvesant, having learned of an English expedition on its way to seize the colony, ordered Van Corlaer to rouse the villages along the Hudson River with a trumpet call to war...
, to ride up to the northernmost point of Manhattan Island and blow his trumpet, a common means of summoning the people. As he neared the shores where the Hudson meets the Harlem River, Anthony couldn't cross. It was a stormy evening when Van Corlaer arrived at the upper end of the island, and as no ferryman was available Van Corlaer vowed to swim across the river "in spite of the devil" (Dutch: "in spuyt den duyvil"), Halfway across, legend has it that the devil pulled Anthony under, and, while he was able to escape his grasp, he was too tired to continue swimming and drowned there despite his escape. From then on, the little area in the Bronx where Anthony would have come to shore is called Spuyten Duyvil.
External links
- The district's preschool
- http://www.washington-heights.us/history/archives/spuyten_duyvil_creek_23.html
- http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=072&sh=map
- Another Translation