New York City Skyline, Waterfront & Staten Island Ferry 1898

From an approaching boat we see a busy waterfront and the budding skyline of lower Manhattan. Our photo comes from the Detroit Publishing Company archive.

The ship the photographer is aboard is pulling in, and the ferry Stapleton is about to head to Staten Island. Other boats with passengers are docked at their moorings.

The most notable building in the center of the photograph with the square tower flying a flag is the Produce Exchange Building. The clock on the tower tells us it is 10:35 a.m.. Directly behind the Exchange, the circular tower of the Washington Building, the tallest structure in the photo, can be glimpsed.

To the left of the Exchange, the building with the cylindrical tower and flag is the Barge Office where customs officials went about their business. The Barge Office was also processing arriving immigrants from 1890 through 1891 after Castle Garden was closed.

Ellis Island was opened on January 1, 1892 to handle immigration. A huge fire on Ellis Island destroyed all the buildings on June 15, 1897. The Barge Office temporarily resumed immigrant processing again from until 1897 through 1900 while Ellis Island was rebuilt.

As the age of sail was waning, two other somewhat typical and mundane four and three story buildings, should be taken note of. On the extreme right directly behind the South Ferry terminal is James Stafford’s Sail Loft building at 2 South Street, it’s roof-line advertising sign clearly visible. Next door at 4 South Street is the Wright S. Travis Building (commission merchants). Both businesses are representative of the waterfront area where shipping, seafood and commerce ruled the day.