Weehawken Terminal
Encyclopedia
Weehawken Terminal was the waterfront intermodal terminal on the North River (Hudson River) in Weehawken, New Jersey
for the New York Central Railroad
's West Shore Railroad
division. It opened in 1884 and closed in 1959. The complex contained five ferry slips, sixteen passenger train tracks, car float
facilities, and extensive yards
. The facility was also used by the New York, Ontario and Western Railway
.
was first granted by Governor of New York Richard Coote
in 1700. It was a sail and row service later superseded by steamboat service, notably at Hoboken
in 1834. The route then operated sporadically for years, and became object of a legislative investigation in 1870. It was purchased by the New Jersey Midland Railway in 1871. From 1913 until the 1927 opening of the Holland Tunnel
, it was a component of the Lincoln Highway
, the first transcontinental highway in the United States, which began at Times Square
, crossed the river, and travelled up Hudson Palisades
along Pershing Road
. In addition to 42nd Street
, boats also travelled to Cortland Street. The Weehawken was the last ferry to the West Shore Terminal
on March 25, 1959 at 1:10 am, ending 259 years of continuous ferry service.
The West Shore Railroad maintained extensive routes to the north and west.
The New York Central bought the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway on November 24, 1885 and reorganized their new acquisition as the West Shore Railroad on December 5, immediately leasing it for 475 years from January 1, 1886. Trains departed the terminal and travelled under Bergen Hill
, as the southern portion of the Hudson Palisades was known, in a tunnel that had been built in the three preceding years. They travelled inland and north along the Palisade ridge between the competing Erie Railroad
Northern Branch
and Pascack Valley Line
. At Haverstraw
the route returned to the river proceeding north to Kingston
and Albany
and eventually to Buffalo
. Suburban service to the Northern Valley
in Bergen County and Rockland County included stops at Bogota, Dumont, Tappan, and Nyack. In the early 1990s there were studies made to consider the revival of service along the right-of-way to Nyack
. The NYO&W mainline ran to Oswego
, a port city on Lake Ontario
. It had branch lines to Scranton, Pennsylvania
and to Kingston
; Port Jervis
; Dehli
; Utica
and Rome
in New York State. Using the same tunnel, the New York Central also operated the New Jersey Junction Railroad
south to Jersey City and the New Jersey Shore Line Railroad
north to Edgewater
. Portions of that right of way became part of the subsequently abandoned River Line (Conrail)
.
, and later the Public Service Railway
as lines 19 Union City, 21 West New York
, 23 Palisade, 25 Weehawken, ran along Pershing Road providing local access to the terminal. For a brief period in the 1890s the terminal was also served by a massive elevator structure which transported passengers to a trestle where they could board streetcars to the Eldorado, a pleasure garden which overlooked it, and Nungesser´s Guttenberg Ractrack.
and Hudson Palisades that in the last centuries has been transformed from an estuary
flood zone once called Slough's Meadow to an extensive rail and shipping port and, since the 1990s to a residential and recreation area. Many duels, including the famous 1804 the Burr–Hamilton duel took place on a site latter obliterated by rail infrastructure. The Erie Railroad
(which maintained extensive yards, docks, and barges) Pier D and Piershed is a remnant of the rail era that is New Jersey Register of Historic Places
site designated in 1984. renovated and used as office space. The United Fruit Company
once maintained the largest banana warehouse in the USA nearby. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
is a partially completed promenade along the bulkhead
. On a much smaller scale restoration of rail and ferry services began in 2006 at Weehawken Port Imperial
provided by Hudson Bergen Light Rail and New York Waterway. which opened its new passenger ferry terminal Ferries travel to Pier 79
at West 39th Street, Pier 11 at South Street Seaport
, and Battery Park City Ferry Terminal
. In 2009, the terminal was instrumental in the rescue of passengers for US Airways Flight 1549
, which made an emergency landing on the Hudson River.
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...
for the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
's West Shore Railroad
West Shore Railroad
The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad from Weehawken, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City, north along the west shore of the river to Albany, New York and then west to Buffalo...
division. It opened in 1884 and closed in 1959. The complex contained five ferry slips, sixteen passenger train tracks, car float
Car float
A railroad car float or rail barge is an unpowered barge with rail tracks mounted on its deck. It is used to move railroad cars across water obstacles, or to locations they could not otherwise go, and is pushed by a towboat or towed by a tugboat...
facilities, and extensive yards
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
. The facility was also used by the New York, Ontario and Western Railway
New York, Ontario and Western Railway
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, more commonly known as the O&W or NYO&W, was a regional railroad with origins in 1868, lasting until March 29, 1957 when it was ordered liquidated by a US bankruptcy judge. The O&W holds the distinction of being the first major U.S...
.
Weehawken Ferry
A patent for a ferry route from Weehawken to ManhattanManhattan
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...
was first granted by Governor of New York Richard Coote
Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont
Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont , known as The Lord Coote between 1683 and 1689, was a member of the English Parliament and a colonial governor...
in 1700. It was a sail and row service later superseded by steamboat service, notably at Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
in 1834. The route then operated sporadically for years, and became object of a legislative investigation in 1870. It was purchased by the New Jersey Midland Railway in 1871. From 1913 until the 1927 opening of the Holland Tunnel
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland. Unusual for an American public works project, it is not named for a government official, politician, or local hero or...
, it was a component of the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
, the first transcontinental highway in the United States, which began at Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, crossed the river, and travelled up Hudson Palisades
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
along Pershing Road
Pershing Road (Hudson County)
Pershing Road travels for on the Hudson Palisades in Weehawken, New Jersey between Boulevard East and Weehawken Port Imperial and carries the designation Hudson County Route 682....
. In addition to 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
, boats also travelled to Cortland Street. The Weehawken was the last ferry to the West Shore Terminal
West Shore Railroad
The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad from Weehawken, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City, north along the west shore of the river to Albany, New York and then west to Buffalo...
on March 25, 1959 at 1:10 am, ending 259 years of continuous ferry service.
Railroad Lines
The New York Central bought the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway on November 24, 1885 and reorganized their new acquisition as the West Shore Railroad on December 5, immediately leasing it for 475 years from January 1, 1886. Trains departed the terminal and travelled under Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
, as the southern portion of the Hudson Palisades was known, in a tunnel that had been built in the three preceding years. They travelled inland and north along the Palisade ridge between the competing Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
Northern Branch
Northern Branch
The Northern Branch Corridor Project is a proposed 11-mile long rail line that would offer a mass transit rail option to residents of eastern Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, that has been unavailable for decades since passenger rail service ended on the Northern Branch in 1966 and the...
and Pascack Valley Line
Pascack Valley Line
The Pascack Valley Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Hoboken Division of New Jersey Transit. The line runs north from Hoboken, New Jersey through Bergen County and into Rockland County, New York, terminating at Spring Valley. Service within New York is operated under contract with...
. At Haverstraw
Haverstraw, New York
Haverstraw is the name of two locations in Rockland County, New York:*Haverstraw, New York, a town*Haverstraw , New York, a village located entirely within the townIt may also refer to:*West Haverstraw, New York*Haverstraw Bay*Haverstraw Indians...
the route returned to the river proceeding north to Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
and Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
and eventually to Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Suburban service to the Northern Valley
Northern Valley Regional High School District
The Northern Valley Regional High School District is a regional school district composed of two public high schools in Bergen County, New Jersey. The regionalized district serves a student population of approximately 2,500 in grades 9-12....
in Bergen County and Rockland County included stops at Bogota, Dumont, Tappan, and Nyack. In the early 1990s there were studies made to consider the revival of service along the right-of-way to Nyack
Nyack, New York
Nyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
. The NYO&W mainline ran to Oswego
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
, a port city on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. It had branch lines to Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
and to Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
; Port Jervis
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
; Dehli
Delhi, New York
Delhi, New York may refer to:* Delhi , New York, county seat of Delaware County, New York, USA* Delhi , New York, in which the village of Delhi is located...
; Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
and Rome
Rome, New York
Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
in New York State. Using the same tunnel, the New York Central also operated the New Jersey Junction Railroad
New Jersey Junction Railroad
The New Jersey Junction Railroad was part of the New York Central Railroad and ran along the Hudson River in Hudson County, New Jersey, from the West Shore Railroad yards at Weehawken Terminal south to Jersey City...
south to Jersey City and the New Jersey Shore Line Railroad
New Jersey Shore Line Railroad
The New Jersey Shore Line Railroad was part of the New York Central Railroad and ran along the Hudson River in New Jersey, from the West Shore Railroad yards at Guttenberg north to the Erie Terminals Railroad at the Hudson/Bergen County line....
north to Edgewater
Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 11,513...
. Portions of that right of way became part of the subsequently abandoned River Line (Conrail)
River Line (Conrail)
The River Line is a rail corridor located between Jersey City, New Jersey and Selkirk, New York, running along the west bank of the Hudson River. A parallel track, which was operated as part of the River Line from Jersey City to Weehawken, New Jersey, was known as the Weehawken Branch...
.
Streetcars
Between 1892-1949 streetcars, initially operated by the North Hudson County RailwayNorth Hudson County Railway
The North Hudson Railway Company built and operated a streetcar system in Hudson County and southeast Bergen County, New Jersey before and after the turn of twentieth century. It was founded by John Bonn, and eventually taken over by the Public Service Railway...
, and later the Public Service Railway
Public Service Railway
The Public Service Railway, owned by the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey, operated most of the streetcar lines in New Jersey by the early 20th century. Public Service lines stretched from northeast New Jersey to Trenton, and then south to Camden and its suburbs...
as lines 19 Union City, 21 West New York
181 Union City-New York
The 181 Union City-New York is a bus route operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. Buses head north from the Bergenline Avenue Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station in Union City along Bergenline Avenue, Woodcliff Avenue, and Palisade Avenue to Fort Lee via West...
, 23 Palisade, 25 Weehawken, ran along Pershing Road providing local access to the terminal. For a brief period in the 1890s the terminal was also served by a massive elevator structure which transported passengers to a trestle where they could board streetcars to the Eldorado, a pleasure garden which overlooked it, and Nungesser´s Guttenberg Ractrack.
Site
The Weehawken waterfront is located north of Weehawken Cove on a long narrow strip of land between the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
and Hudson Palisades that in the last centuries has been transformed from an estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
flood zone once called Slough's Meadow to an extensive rail and shipping port and, since the 1990s to a residential and recreation area. Many duels, including the famous 1804 the Burr–Hamilton duel took place on a site latter obliterated by rail infrastructure. The Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
(which maintained extensive yards, docks, and barges) Pier D and Piershed is a remnant of the rail era that is New Jersey Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The program is administered by the Historic Preservation Office of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.The register was...
site designated in 1984. renovated and used as office space. The United Fruit Company
United Fruit Company
It had a deep and long-lasting impact on the economic and political development of several Latin American countries. Critics often accused it of exploitative neocolonialism and described it as the archetypal example of the influence of a multinational corporation on the internal politics of the...
once maintained the largest banana warehouse in the USA nearby. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, also known as the Hudson River Walkway, is an ongoing and incomplete project located on Kill van Kull and the western shore of Upper New York Bay and the Hudson River, implemented as part of a New Jersey state-mandated master plan to connect the municipalities...
is a partially completed promenade along the bulkhead
Bulkhead (barrier)
A bulkhead is a retaining wall, such as a bulkhead within a ship or a watershed retaining wall. It may also be used in mines, to contain flooding.Certain bulkheads, e.g., at the Hudson River are of historical and architectural value....
. On a much smaller scale restoration of rail and ferry services began in 2006 at Weehawken Port Imperial
Weehawken Port Imperial
Weehawken Port Imperial is an intermodal transit hub on the Weehawken, New Jersey waterfront of the Hudson River across from Midtown Manhattan served by New York Waterway ferries and buses, Hudson Bergen Light Rail, and NJT buses. The district lies under and at the foot of Pershing Road, a...
provided by Hudson Bergen Light Rail and New York Waterway. which opened its new passenger ferry terminal Ferries travel to Pier 79
West Midtown Ferry Terminal
The West Midtown Ferry Terminal is a passenger ferry terminal serving ferries along the Hudson River in New York City and northeastern New Jersey. It is located at Piers 78 and 79 in Hudson River Park adjacent to the West Side Highway at West 39th Street in Midtown Manhattan...
at West 39th Street, Pier 11 at South Street Seaport
South Street Seaport
The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located where Fulton Street meets the East River, and adjacent to the Financial District. The Seaport is a designated historic district, distinct from the neighboring Financial District...
, and Battery Park City Ferry Terminal
Battery Park City Ferry Terminal
The Battery Park City Ferry Terminal provides slips to ferries, water taxis, and sightseeing boats in the Port of New York and New Jersey. The floating dock is located on the Hudson River and moored at the foot of Vesey Street in Hudson River Park in Battery Park City, Manhattan...
. In 2009, the terminal was instrumental in the rescue of passengers for US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549 was US Airways' scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina...
, which made an emergency landing on the Hudson River.
See also
- Bergen HillBergen HillBergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
- Bergenline StationBergenline Avenue (HBLR station)Bergenline Avenue is a station on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail . The intermodal facility is located on 49th Street between Bergenline Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard at the border of Union City, West New York and North Bergen, New Jersey The station opened for service on February 25, 2006.-Design and...
- Timeline of Jersey City area railroadsTimeline of Jersey City area railroadsFor the purposes of this article, the Jersey City area goes north to Edgewater , south to Bayonne, and includes Kearny Junction and Harrison but not Newark...
- List of ferries across the Hudson River in New York City
- Railroad terminals in New York CityRailroad terminals in New York CityThe table below shows all railroad lines that have served New York City and what terminal they used. A red background indicates that the railroad owned a part or full share of the terminal.-See also:*North River *Bergen Hill...
- List of Public Service Railway lines
- New York Central Railroad 69th Street Transfer BridgeNew York Central Railroad 69th Street Transfer BridgeThe 69th Street Transfer Bridge, part of the West Side Line of the New York Central Railroad, was a dock for car floats which allowed the transfer of railroad cars from the rail line to car floats which crossed the Hudson River to the Weehawken Yards in New Jersey...
- New York Central Tugboat 13New York Central Tugboat 13New York Central Railroad Tugboat No. 13 is a railroad tug boat built in 1887 in Camden, New Jersey by John A. Dialogue and Sons.It is currently undergoing extensive renovation at Garpo Marine in Tottenville, Staten Island....
External links
|author=Weehawken ferry company|publisher=F. Hart|year=1853}}- West Shore Railroad
- History of the Hudson River Ferries
- Weehawken Ferry Terminal Project Unveiled at NJ Transit Board of Directors Meeting(New Jersey Transit)
- Design and construction of the Weehawken Tunnel and Bergenline Avenue Station for the Hudson-Bergen Light-Rail Transit System (PDF file)
- Old Weehawken Ferry Ship Dan Rice, Chopper 4 (Today in New York; Thursday, June 14, 2007)
- GUIDE TO THE MOST USEFUL FERRIES by Theodore W. Scull
- Old Photo of Terminal
- West Shore memoir
- Street Terminal photo
- Comments on the West Shore from Bergenfield
- Erie proposes Northern trains be rerouted to Weehawken Terminal
- New York, Ontario and Western ROW
- NY Times: 1997 NJT study funding
- 1882 description of site
