That Hudson River Waterfront
But the other day I found a 1986 publication in our GVSHP library titled The Greenwich Village Waterfront: An Historical Study and I learned so much more about the history of this area. There was always something going on, from the Native American village of Sapokanican, to Dutch farmers whose crops included tobacco, to the English, who changed the Dutch name Noortwijck to Greenwich.
We have written before here on Off the Grid about some of the early estates which overlapped with present-day Greenwich Village, such as Peter Warren’s and Anthony Bleecker’s. But I learned from this book about Colonel (later General) Peter Gansevoort, a hero of the American Revolution, whose name we see and hear today, and was once given to the only fort ever built in Greenwich Village, Fort Gansevoort, located on the Hudson River in today’s Gansevoort Market / Meatpacking District. Just south of the fort, between present-day Christopher Street and Perry Street, stood the massive Newgate Prison, which operated from 1796 to 1829.
Landfill was used to expand and solidify the previously marshy shore line after the opening of the Erie Canal, as boat traffic along the Hudson increased exponentially. A rail link allowed for more goods to be brought to and sent from the area as well. In the 1880s, Gansevoort Market and the enclosed West Washington market replaced the earlier markets. In 1890, the Gansevoort Freezing and Cold Storage Company built underground pipes to provide the West Washington Market with refrigeration of fresh meat and poultry, another boon to the already booming food industry.
The waterfront is still a busy place today, mostly for residential development, and is defined in a large part by the Hudson River Park. Here at GVSHP we are concerned about the current issue of sale and transfer of air rights from the park, and as news develops, we will keep you informed.
I agree, Ted. I bike from Clarkson up to 125th on the Hudson at least weekly, and it NEVER gets old. Lots agree – based on how many people I see out enjoying the waterfront.
Thank u for this fascinating write-up. I’ve lived in the area since the 1970s, and am always amazed at the ongoing change and development. How can u not love this area?