Arrochar, Staten Island
Encyclopedia
Arrochar (ˈɑroʊkɑr ) is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island
in New York City
in the United States
. It is located directly inland of Fort Wadsworth
and South Beach
, on the east side of Hylan Boulevard
south of the Staten Island Expressway; the community of Grasmere
borders it on the west. It is today primarily a neighborhood of one- and two-family homes and small businesses.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the late 17th century to Staten Island, the area was the site of a Lenape
encampment. The name "Arrochar" comes from the estate of W.W. MacFarland of the clan MacFarland in the 1840s, who named it for his home village of Arrochar
in Scotland
.
At the beginning of the 20th century the neighborhood became a fashionable gateway to the resort communities of South Beach and Midland Beach
. The house of the MacFarland estate is now part of the grounds of St. Joseph Hill Academy
, a Catholic
girls school. Across Landis Avenue from St. Joseph Hill Academy sits St. John Villa Academy
, also a Roman Catholic girls school. Throughout the 20th century it became a residential neighborhood for various ethnic groups, Italian-Americans being chief among them. Arrochar today is still inhabited by many Italians and has a growing Chinese-American community as well.
Arrochar is served by the elementary school P.S.39.
, on the South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway
. The station was located at Major Avenue. This branch closed in 1953, and unlike the also now-dormant North Shore Branch, the tracks of the South Beach line have been removed and homes now stand on its former right-of-way.
Due to its proximity to the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge, Arrochar is served by numerous express buses to Manhattan, as well as the S53/S79/S93 local buses to Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn
. It is also served by the S51/S81, S52, and S78 local buses to the St. George Ferry Terminal.
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located directly inland of Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth is a former United States military installation on Staten Island in New York City, situated on The Narrows which divide New York Bay into Upper and Lower halves, a natural point for defense of the Upper Bay and Manhattan beyond. Prior to closing in 1994 it claimed to be the longest...
and South Beach
South Beach, Staten Island
South Beach is the name of a neighborhood located on the East Shore of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, USA. It is situated immediately to the south of the Staten Island side of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge...
, on the east side of Hylan Boulevard
Hylan Boulevard
Hylan Boulevard is a major northeast-southwest boulevard in the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is approximately long , and runs from the North Shore neighborhood of Rosebank to the South Shore neighborhood of Tottenville....
south of the Staten Island Expressway; the community of Grasmere
Grasmere, Staten Island
Grasmere is the name of a neighborhood located on the East Shore of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.Grasmere although crossed by major roads has retained its quiet suburban character. The area and adjoining Concord was dotted with lakes and ponds similar to the English...
borders it on the west. It is today primarily a neighborhood of one- and two-family homes and small businesses.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the late 17th century to Staten Island, the area was the site of a Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
encampment. The name "Arrochar" comes from the estate of W.W. MacFarland of the clan MacFarland in the 1840s, who named it for his home village of Arrochar
Arrochar, Scotland
Arrochar is a village located near the head of Loch Long in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.It is overlooked by a group of mountains called the Arrochar Alps, and in particular by the distinctive rocky summit of The Cobbler. It enjoys good communications as it is at the junction of the A83 and A814...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
At the beginning of the 20th century the neighborhood became a fashionable gateway to the resort communities of South Beach and Midland Beach
Midland Beach, Staten Island
Midland Beach is a Staten Island neighborhood. It lies along the east-central coast of the island, in the area known locally as the "Mid-Island, Staten Island," or, according to some, the "East Shore." To its immediate west is Grant City, south lies New Dorp Beach with Graham Beach and South Beach...
. The house of the MacFarland estate is now part of the grounds of St. Joseph Hill Academy
St. Joseph Hill Academy
St. Joseph Hill High School is a private all girls school in the Arrochar neighborhood of Staten Island, New York. Located on a scenic campus , the school serves approximately 400 young women in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades and is accompanied by a coeducational wing for students in pre-K...
, a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
girls school. Across Landis Avenue from St. Joseph Hill Academy sits St. John Villa Academy
St. John Villa Academy
St. John Villa Academy is an all-girls, private, Roman Catholic high school on Staten Island in New York, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.-Background:...
, also a Roman Catholic girls school. Throughout the 20th century it became a residential neighborhood for various ethnic groups, Italian-Americans being chief among them. Arrochar today is still inhabited by many Italians and has a growing Chinese-American community as well.
Arrochar is served by the elementary school P.S.39.
Transportation
Arrochar once had its own train stationArrochar (Staten Island Railway station)
Arrochar is a station on the demolished South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway. It had two side platforms and two tracks. It closed on March 31, 1953 and was fully demolished when the toll plaza of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was built on the same location.-References:*...
, on the South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
. The station was located at Major Avenue. This branch closed in 1953, and unlike the also now-dormant North Shore Branch, the tracks of the South Beach line have been removed and homes now stand on its former right-of-way.
Due to its proximity to the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge, Arrochar is served by numerous express buses to Manhattan, as well as the S53/S79/S93 local buses to Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn
Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn
Fort Hamilton is a neighborhood in the far southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is located south of, and often considered part of, Bay Ridge. The area stretches from 86th Street as its northern border to 101st Street/the Narrows at the south; it is bounded by New York...
. It is also served by the S51/S81, S52, and S78 local buses to the St. George Ferry Terminal.