Neptune Island (Long Island Sound)
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | New Rochelle, New York Long Island Sound |
| Coordinates | 40°53′08″N 73°46′13″W / 40.8856389°N 73.770231°W |
| Administration | |
United States | |
Neptune Island is an island in Long Island Sound and part of the City of New Rochelle, New York. Separated from the mainland by a small creek, the two are connected by stone causeway over which Neptune Road passes. The island is located in the city's Lower Harbor and is situated between Davenport's Neck, Glen Island and Travers Island.
The island was originally included in the commons of the town. Following the Revolution, it came under the ownership of Anthony L. Bleeker. It was purchased by William Turpin in 1828, and was then called "Moses Island".[1] It was during Turpin's ownership that the present road and causeway were built, connecting it with the mainland, and a steamboat dock was built at the end of that road. Steamboats that had been stopping at New Rochelle and landing at the foot of Town Dock Road prior to 1829 were transferred to this dock on the island before 1833.[2]
Jacob Rhinelander, who bought the island in 1836, died soon after, and his property passed to his niece, Deborah Underhill, wife of Isaac Underhill. Immediately thereafter, Isaac Underhill erected a very large hotel, "The Neptune House", designed as a summer retreat for upscale customers. The popularity of the Neptune House as a summer resort was immense and continued for over forty years. Among the earlier proprietors were Captain Curtis Peck and James Willis, and later, James Willis alone during the Civil War period. Some of the early steamboats that shuttled individuals between New Rochelle and New York City from the Neptune House Dock were the American Eagle, Croton, Economy and Island City. Isaac Underhill was interested as part owner in many of the steamboats as well as the owner of the hotel itself. In the summer of 1853, a ferry corporation headed by Willett Secor commissioned the steamboat Wave, as a ferryboat from the Neptune House to Glen Cove, Long Island, by .
In the spring of 1862 when Davids' Island was leased by the United States Government as a hospital for the wounded in the Civil War, a ferry connection was established from Neptune Island, under the control of Simeon Leland. From its purchase of Davids' Island (now called Fort Slocum), the government had operated its own ferry boats to and from a dock on Neptune Island.[3] The island and the Neptune House continued to be owned by the Underhill family through 1885, operating the hotel under various managers and lessees. In 1876 the Neptune House was the terminal of Colonel DeLancey Kane's "Tally Ho" coach running daily between New Rochelle and the Brunswick Hotel in New York City, but a year later that was transferred to a hotel on Main Street in New Rochelle.[4] When Louis A. DePau purchased Locust Island (now included in Glen Island) in 1847 and built his residence there, he established a chain-ferry between that island and Neptune Island for his own private use, landing at a dock on the west of Neptune Island.[5]
The chain-ferry was continued by later owners of Locust Island until John H. Starin purchased that island in 1881. Starin improved Locust Island and opened it as a summer amusement ground named "Glen Island" and he continued to operate a chain-ferry for the convenience of visitors to the island traveling by railway to New Rochelle. This continued until he finally closed Glen Island to the public. In 1885 the island was sold to the Wall Street banker and prominent New Rochelle resident, Adrian Iselin. That same year, Iselin established both the New Rochelle and Pelham Railroad Company and the New Rochelle Street Railway Company, making a connection to Neptune Island and the Glen Island ferry from the New Rochelle railroad depot. Along with the private steamboats operated to the island from New York City by Mr. Starin, the two companies greatly facilitated travel to and from the island by way of the New York and New Haven Railroad. [6]
In 1885, Neptune Island was sold to Adrian Iselin and most of the hotel was demolished. One section of the hotel left standing was cut up into four private houses that still remain at 1, 2, 3 and 4 Harbor Lane. In 1886 Mr. Iselin offered to give a large part of Neptune Island to the Town of New Rochelle for a public park, but the offer was refused and the Town purchased the present Hudson Park instead. Later Mr. Iselin renewed his offer to give the park to the City, which was finally accepted. [7]
The ferry between Neptune and Glen Islands has been succeeded by a large bridge extending from the mainland at the end at Weyman Avenue, passing over the western end of Neptune Island, to Glen Island. The bridge is part of the Westchester County Parks System, of which Glen Island itself in another part. The horse-car line was replaced by electric trolley cars, operated by the Westchester Electric Railway Company beginning in 1898, connecting with the ferry to Fort Slocum from Neptune Island, maintained by the United States Government.
References
- ^ Records of the Town of New Rochelle, Jeanne A. Forbes, (Paragraph Press) 1916, pg.219
- ^ The New York Supplement, West Publishing Company, page.748
- ^ Army Appropriation Bill, 1921: Hearings Before Subcommittee No. 1 of the Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives, Sixty-sixth Congress, U.S. Government, page.322
- ^ Appletons' Dictionary of New York and Its Vicinity, D. Appleton & Co., 1879
- ^ A History of the County of Westchester, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time, Robert Bolton, 1848
- ^ Third Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners, The State of New York, 1886
- ^ Park for New Rochelle, The New York Times, 1903
Geographic location
- Template:Geolinks-US-cityscale
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Neptune Island
- NY HomeTownLocator Community Profile
