Hoffman Island
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Hoffman Island is one of two small islands in the Lower New York Bay, off South Beach, Staten Island. A smaller island, known as Swinburne Island, lies immediately to the south. [1]
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[edit] History
Created from Orchard Shoals by the addition of land fill[2] in 1872 and named for former New York City mayor (1866—1868) [2], and then-current New York State Governor (1869—1871) [2] John T. Hoffman [3], Hoffman Island covers 11 acres (4.45 hectares)[2], while Swinburne Island's area is about 4 acres (16,000 m²). The latter island, also of artificial origin, was originally called Dix Island, but was renamed in honor of Dr. John Swinburne, a noted military surgeon during the Civil War.
In the early 1900s, the islands were used as a quarantine station, housing immigrants found to have been carrying contagious diseases when they landed at Ellis Island. At the start of World War II the United States Merchant Marine used both islands as a training station[2] (which opened in 1938); the Quonset huts built during this period still stand on Swinburne Island.
The other major use for the two islands during World War II were as anchorages for Antisubmarine Nets that fenced off New York Bay from the Atlantic Ocean to keep enemy submarines out[2].
[edit] Post World War II Plans
Since World War II ended, city planners and politicians have floated various proposals for what should be done with the two islands. Robert Moses and Bernard Baruch advocated transforming the islands into a city park, but this plan was soon forgotten. In 1961 all existing buildings on Hoffman Island were razed, and since then trespassers have been apprehended on the island from time to time, including one celebrated incident in which a film crew was caught shooting a pornographic movie there. In the 1980s some Staten Island residents proposed building a large homeless shelter on Hoffman and/or Swinburne islands, in response to the city's plans to open new shelters in some of the borough's residential neighborhoods. This plan was never implemented either.
[edit] Current Use
Today, both Hoffman and Swinburne islands are owned by the National Park Service as part of the Staten Island Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area. They are, however, still off-limits to the general public, to protect the islands' avian residents. Hoffman Island hosts a large number of nesting wading birds, including great egret, snowy egret, black-crowned night heron, and glossy ibis. Double-crested Cormorant dominate Swinburne, and great black-backed gulls nest on both islands. Beginning in 2001, harbor seals have been seen wintering around the islands. [1]
| National Park Service | |
 National Park Service agency patch |
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 25, 1916 |
| Jurisdiction | Hoffman Island |
| Headquarters | Main Interior Building (MIB), Washington, D.C. |
| Employees | 15,000 permanent, 5,000 seasonal |
| Annual Budget | $2.256 billion (2006) |
| Agency Executive | Mary A. Bomar, Director |
| Parent agency | Department of the Interior |
| Website | |
| www.nps.gov | |
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Swimmers From the North Delight Scientists and Sightseers", New York Times, March 25, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-08-21. "The inhabitants of Hoffman and Swinburne Islands, man-made piles in Lower New York Bay off Staten Island, have tended to be there not because they particularly want to be, but because they have to. In the 19th century, the islands were a holding area for new immigrants feared to be carrying diseases. Later, they housed soldiers with venereal disease, quarantined parrots and, until the 1940's, merchant marines in training."
- ^ a b c d e f Kenneth T. Jackson: The Encyclopedia of New York City: The New York Historical Society; Yale University Press; 1995. P. 149.
- ^ John T. Hoffman was born on January 10, 1828 and he died on March 24, 1888
[edit] Further reading
- Seitz, Sharon & Miller, Stuart. (2003) The Other Islands of New York. ISBN 0-88150-502-1.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- "Quarantine At New York" - Harper's Weekly, September 6, 1879
- "A Little Island Near New York Peopled With Babies" - The New York Times, Magazine Section. November 27, 1910
- "First U. S. Maritime Service Training Station" - Mast Magazine, March 1944
- "...to the New York Islands" at Forgotten NY
- NYC Audubon Harbor Herons Project
- Harbor Herons Nesting Survey -recent reports on wading bird, cormorant, and gull nesting activity at Hoffman Island
- A Satellite Photo of the two islands
- NYC Audubon's Harbor Herons Project
- Hoffman Island Radio Association
- Hoffman Island is at coordinates Coordinates:
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