The Arthur Kill Bridge was a railroad bridge connecting

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

Chemical Coast The Chemical Coast is a section of Union and Middlesex counties in New Jersey located along the shores of the Arthur Kill, across from Staten Island, New York. The name is taken from the Conrail Chemical Coast Line, an important component in th ...

by crossing the

Arthur Kill The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait in the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York, and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It ...

. It existed from 1888 until 1959, when it was replaced by the current

Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge The Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge is a rail vertical-lift bridge connecting Elizabethport, New Jersey, and the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island, New York, United States. The bridge was built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ...

, built nearby. It was the only land connection to Staten Island until 1928.

Proposal for a bridge

Although a temporary pontoon bridge to

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

, Staten Island was usually accessible only by ferry to New Jersey or by private boat. It was not until 1810 that regular ferry service was established to

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. As early as 1850, campaigns for a bridge to

Bayonne, New Jersey Bayonne ( ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, in the Gateway Region on Bergen Neck, a peninsula between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south, and New York ...

were begun by some summer residents of the island, although opposed by many permanent residents. In 1870 the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the Bicameralism, two houses that act as the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York: the New York State Senate and the New York State Assem ...

passed a bill authorizing a swing-span bridge from

New Brighton, Staten Island New Brighton is a neighborhood located on the North Shore, Staten Island, North Shore of Staten Island in New York City. The neighborhood comprises an older industrial and residential harbor front area along the Kill Van Kull west of St. George, ...

Ellis Island Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...

via Robbins Reef. A charter was granted to the Staten Island Bridge Company, but the project was eventually abandoned due to fiscal constraints.Sharon Reier. ''The Bridges of New York'', Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 109-110. The proposal to build a railroad bridge over the Arthur Kill existed from at least 1886, when

Erastus Wiman Erastus Wiman (21 April 1834 – 9 February 1904) was a Canadian journalist and businessman who later moved to the United States. He is best known as a developer in the New York City borough of Staten Island, a founder of whiskey producer Cana ...

, a developer who was founder and president of the

Staten Island Railway The Staten Island Railway (SIR) is a rapid transit, railroad line in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Staten Island. It is owned by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), a subsidiary of the Metropol ...

, persuaded the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

to finance a bridge over the Arthur Kill in exchange for use of Wiman's railroad facilities on the island. In the summer of 1886 the Board of Army Engineers for Fortifications held a hearing at the Army Building in

to determine the preferred location for the interstate bridge that had recently been authorized by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

. Speaking in favor of the bridge were representatives of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Erastus Wiman. Opposed to the proposed location were Senator Chase, representing the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

, and I. L. Fisher of the Bee Towing Company. The opponents preferred building a bridge near Buckwheat Island, about south of the proposed location. The Board reported to the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

."The Arthur Kill Bridge", ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', August 28, 1886 (Note: The article refers to "Senator Chase", possibly intending

Jonathan Chace Jonathan Chace (July 22, 1829June 30, 1917) was a United States representative and United States Senate, Senator from Rhode Island. Biography Born at Fall River, Massachusetts, the son of Harvey Chace and the grandson of Oliver Chace. In 1854, ...

of Rhode Island.)

Description and history

The approved bridge was designed by Charles Ackenheit (or Ackenheil), the chief engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The cost was approximately $500,000. Construction occurred from 1887 to 1889 and the bridge opened with ceremony on January 1, 1890. It was also called the "Achter Kill Bridge" after the alternate spelling and pronunciation of Arthur Kill. At the time of its completion, it was the longest of its type in the world. It was a swing-span railroad bridge with a center pier, connecting the Howland Hook area of Staten Island to

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, numerous troop trains would deliver soldiers bound for Europe to ships waiting at the Staten Island port of embarkation piers. Also, in October 1957, a train carrying

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

from

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

to the

Staten Island Ferry The Staten Island Ferry is a fare-free passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the Boroughs of New York City, New York City boroughs of Manh ...

during a state visit crossed the bridge.Forgotten New York: Staten Island Railway
/ref> In late 1952, the swing span was turned by heavy winds and could not be closed for some time. At other times at least one ship crashed into the bridge, and there was at least one case where boats collided while navigating under the bridge. By the 1950s the bridge was considered outdated and a hazard to navigation. A replacement bridge, the

, was built away from the Arthur Kill Bridge. The new bridge, financed primarily by the federal government, had a center span longer than the old bridge, with no center pier, and its clearance was more than higher than the old span. The new bridge was inaugurated in August 1959, and the Arthur Kill Bridge was then removed; its granite piers had to be blasted away.

References

External links

*{{Cite news, url=https://www.nytimes.com/1888/03/22/archives/the-arthur-kill-bridge-arguments-for-and-against-the-proposed-plans.html, title=The Arthur Kill Bridge.; Arguments For and Against the Proposed Plans., date=March 22, 1888, newspaper=The New York Times, issn=0362-4331 Railroad bridges in New York City Railroad bridges in New Jersey History of Staten Island Buildings and structures in Elizabeth, New Jersey Bridges in Staten Island Bridges in Union County, New Jersey Swing bridges in the United States Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridges Staten Island Railway