Creedmoor Rifle Range was sited on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
in what is now
Queens Village, Queens, New York.
History
The range was established after the New York Legislature and the newly formed
National Rifle Association of America
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
(NRA) collaborated in 1872 to acquire 70 acres of farmland from Bernardus Hendrickson Creed (1811–1889)
for long-distance rifle shooting and the holding of shooting competitions.
The range officially opened on June 21, 1873.
The
Central Railroad of Long Island established a railway station nearby, with trains running from
Hunter's Point, with connecting boat service to
34th Street 34th Street most commonly refers to 34th Street (Manhattan)
34th Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs the width of Manhattan Island from the West Side Highway on the West Side to FDR Drive on t ...
and the
East River
The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...
, allowing access from New York City.
In 1873, the NRA and the Creedmoor range benefitted greatly from the substantial publicity created when the Irish Rifle team, in that year the British champions having won the
Elcho Shield, challenged the 'Riflemen of America' to a match at Creedmoor the following year. The Amateur Club accepted the challenge and won by a small margin.
In 1874, the
Leech Cup
The Leech Cup is a cup named after Major Arthur Blennerhassett Leech, and awarded to long range shooters by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). It is the oldest trophy awarded in competitive target shooting in the United States. Firin ...
was presented to the Amateur Rifle Club by Major Arthur Blennerhassett Leech, Captain of the visiting Irish Rifle Team and is thus the oldest trophy offered today in competitive target shooting in the United States.
It was presented to the NRA in 1901 and was then annually awarded for long distance shooting by any rifle.
In 1875, the
Wimbledon Cup was presented to the NRA by the British team on the occasion of the Americans shooting at
Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* W ...
, then the home of British rifle shooting. It was then annually awarded for 1000-yard shooting.
International competitions, organized by the NRA, were held annually at the range until 1891, after which a decline in interest and support caused them to be moved to the range at the National Guard Camp,
Sea Girt, New Jersey under the auspices of the New Jersey State Rifle Association.
The Creedmoor site reverted to the State of New York in 1907 and in 1912 became the Farm Colony of Brooklyn State Hospital.
Today it is the site of the
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center.
See also
* .
Bibliography
Inline
General
*
* ; .
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Sports venues in Queens, New York
Sports venues in New York (state)
1873 establishments in New York (state)
Sports venues completed in 1873
1891 disestablishments in New York (state)