History, Natural History & the Arts
The Billion Oyster Project is a nonprofit organization on a mission to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives.
Why oysters? Their reefs provide habitat for many marine species, have the ability to filter water, protect water quality, and help shield New York City shorelines from storm damage. [Read more…] about The Billion Oyster Project Is Working To Restore NY’s Oyster Reefs
On June 26th approximately 400 jet skis traveled from Long Island City in the East River, around the tip of Manhattan and up the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge, part of the annual New York City Jet Ski Invasion. [Read more…] about Jet Ski Invasion of NY Harbor Rounds Manhattan’s Tip
On July 27th, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) notified DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries of a distressed humpback whale in Ambrose Channel, one of the busiest waterways in New York Harbor. [Read more…] about Distressed Humpback Whale Freed in NY Harbor
An island at the tip of Lower Manhattan provided a stage where a local military community participated in national and international events.
From its military beginnings as a colonial militia in 1755, Governors Island became a major headquarters for the U.S. Army and Coast Guard, making it one of the longest continually operated military installations in the country until its closure in 1996. [Read more…] about A Brief History of Governors Island
An often overlooked and forgotten New York City landmark, Castle Clinton welcomed many of the city’s residents into its walls as a place of innovation, entertainment, and new beginnings.
The circular sandstone fort which currently stands in Battery Park, was built to improve harbor fortifications in 1811. The Southwest Battery, as it was known, never fired a shot. [Read more…] about Castle Clinton: New York’s Almost Forgotten Landmark
The National Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island, NY is continuing its educational lecture series with “The Lost Lighthouses of Staten Island” on Thursday, April 4, 2019, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Museum.
Historian, librarian and sailor Andrew Wilson will lead an armchair cruise around the harbor visiting the vanished lighthouses and aids to navigation that made the old port of New York the greatest in the World. [Read more…] about Old Port of New York Lighthouses, Navigation Aids Lecture
Jay Heritage Center has announced an exhibit by Robert Gambee, “Manhattan Seascapes,” at their 1907 Carriage House on Saturday, December 15 thru Sunday, December 16, from 2 to 5 pm.
A Champagne Reception, Book Signing and Prints Sale will take place from 2 to 5 pm on Saturday, December 15. The exhibit will also be open for viewing and print purchases on Sunday. Exhibit is free and open to the public. [Read more…] about 1970s Photos of New York Seascapes Exhibit, Reception at Jay Heritage
New York played an important role during the American Revolution, but the New York Tea Party story remains relatively unknown, often misunderstood, and overshadowed by New York’s larger military role in the American Revolution. [Read more…] about 1774 Patriots: New York’s Tea Party
Along the Erie Canal, Buffalo, N.Y. (No. M 71, Buffalo News Co., Buffalo, N.Y.) courtesy ErieCanal.orgOn July 4, 1817, at Rome, New York on a site now occupied by the Worthington Industries Steel plant, there was a ceremony allegedly turning the first spade of earth on the construction of the Erie Canal, one of the most important public works projects in history.
As we approach the Bicentennial of the Canal’s construction, we would do well to better understand this history and its importance. On July 2, 2017 there will be a march through Lower Manhattan sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Historical Association celebrating this event. [Read more…] about The Erie Canal, New York City, and Democratic Government
Nancy Webster and David Shirley’s new book, A History of Brooklyn Bridge Park (Columbia University Press, 2016), recounts the grassroots, multi-voiced, and contentious effort, beginning in the 1980s, to transform Brooklyn’s defunct piers into a beautiful, urban oasis.
By the 1970s, the Brooklyn piers had become a wasteland on the New York City waterfront. Today, they have been transformed into a park that is enjoyed by countless Brooklynites and visitors from across New York City and around the world. The movement to resist commercial development on the piers reveals how concerned citizens came together to shape the future of their community. [Read more…] about A History of Brooklyn Bridge Park