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Pier A construction records collection

Call Number

PR 421

Date

1884-1998, inclusive

Creator

Wings Point Associates (East Hampton, N.Y.)
New York (N.Y.). Department of Docks (1870-1897)
New York (N.Y.). Department of Docks and Ferries

Extent

15.5 Linear feet in 5 boxes of rolled drawings and 1 document box

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

Pier A is a New York City landmark, found at the south end of Manhattan at Battery Park. It was built in 1884-1886, and housed the Harbor Patrol of the New York City's Police Department and the administrative offices of the Department of Docks into the 1950s, when the Marine Administrative Unit of the Fire Department moved in. The collection primarily includes about 90 original drawings of Pier A's 1880s construction and later additions and alterations into the early 20th century. It also includes an album of historic photographs, snapshots of the demolition and construction work started in 1997-98, and research reports done for 1990s developer Wings Point Associates, the compilers of this documentation.

Biographical / Historical

Pier A extends from the Battery at the southern rim of New York City's Manhattan Island into the lower Hudson River (or North River as many of the documents in the collection refer to it) toward Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. It was built by the city's Department of Docks, under the leadership of Chief Engineer George Sears Greene, Jr., in 1884-1886. At completion, Pier A housed the Harbor Patrol of the city's Police Department and the administrative offices of the Department of Docks. These units, and their successor organizations, remained at Pier A until 1959, when they relocated, and were replaced by the Marine Administrative Unit of the Fire Department, which had been docking its fireboats there since the 1940s. Several alterations were made to the pier over time, including major additions in 1900-1904, installation of a clock in the campanile in 1919 as a World War I memorial, and other renovations through the mid-20th century.

In the late 1960s, Battery Park was slated for economic redevelopment and the related demolition of old structures. Pier A was one such structure targeted for destruction, but resistance by its tenant, the Fire Department, preservationists, and others saved the pier from destruction. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a city landmark in July 1977. Nevertheless, Pier A deteriorated and efforts to include it in the redevelopment of the area continued. In 1988, an agreement was signed with developer Wings Point Associates to repurpose Pier A as primarily a public space for leisure activities. The Fire Department moved out in 1992 and the renovation began in the late 1990s. In preparing for this renovation, Wings Point used original drawings and had historic research done to inform the design. It appears that it is these documents, at least some of them, that comprise the present collection. Wings Point's renovation eventually stalled and the developer gave up its lease in 2007. The Battery Park City Authority undertook the renovation, which was finally completed in 2014.

(The above note was based on the landmarks designation report, documents in the collection, and on-line articles from the New York Times and others.)

Arrangement

The collection is roughly organized by document format.

Scope and Contents

The collection primarily includes about 90 original drawings of Pier A's 1880s construction and later additions and alterations into the early 20th century. The container list provides some level of detail regarding the specific drawings and their subjects. The collection includes a reel of microfilm from 1977 that also includes images of original drawings; the overlap between these and the actual drawings in the collection was not determined during processing in 2021. The microfilm also includes original specifications and other documents that are not in paper form in the collection. A summary list of the documents on the microfilm is found at the very end of the reel and that summary was printed and is found in box 6.

The collection also includes historical research reports prepared for the Pier A developers, Wings Point Associates; an album of historic photographs and other images of Pier A, mostly reproductions, with a few originals; and snapshots of the demolition and construction undertaken in 1997-98.

Access Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact the Print Room Librarian at printroom@nyhistory.org.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

The collection should be cited as: Pier A construction records collection, PR 421, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society. Credit line: Gift of Thomas Ickovic.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Thomas Ickovic, 2021.

Collection processed by

Larry Weimer

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:47:47 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

The collection was processed in May-June 2021. Conservator Katarzyna Vargas humidified, rolled and boxed the drawings. Archivist Larry Weimer organized the overall collection and prepared the finding aid.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024