City Pier A
Encyclopedia
City Pier A is a municipal pier in the Hudson River
at Battery Park
near the southern end of Manhattan
in New York City
. It has also been named Liberty Gateway.
(1801-1899).
The pier was expanded in 1900 and again in 1919 with the clock tower at the end of the pier. This tower is 70 feet high and the clock installed there in 1919 is a memorial to 116,000 US servicemen who died during World War I
. The clock is a ship's clock and was donated by Daniel G. Reid
, founder of United States Steel Corporation. The clock was unveiled at noon on 25 January 1919 by Rear Admiral Josiah S. McKean, with speeches made by the Mayor John Francis Hylan and the Docks Commissioner George Murray Hulbert. It is said to be the first World War I memorial erected in the USA.
In 1991, the American Merchant Mariners' Memorial was installed near this location. Designed by the sculptor Marisol Escobar
, this memorial is located just south of Pier A on a rebuilt stone breakwater. It is a representation in bronze of four merchant seamen with their sinking vessel after it had been attacked by a U-boat in World War II
. The design includes one of the seamen in the water, submerged with each high tide. The memorial was commissioned by the American Merchant Mariners' Memorial, Inc., chaired by Lane Kirkland
, and was dedicated on 8 October 1991.
The New York City Fire Department
used the pier for many years as the main station for its Marine Division. The pier has repeatedly had proposals for redevelopment which eventually were not realized. In 2007, Daniel L. Doctoroff
, deputy mayor for economic development, proposed to use the pier building for the ferry terminal to the Statue of Liberty
and Ellis Island
and other harbor destinations.
The pier featured briefly in the 1965 thriller Mirage with Gregory Peck
and Diane Baker
.
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
at Battery Park
Battery Park
Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, facing New York Harbor. The Battery is named for artillery batteries that were positioned there in the city's early years in order to protect the settlement behind them...
near the southern end of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
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...
. It has also been named Liberty Gateway.
History
It was built from 1884 to 1886 to serve the Department of Docks and Harbor Police. The engineer in charge of construction and design was George Sears Greene Jr. (1837-1922), the son of the civil engineer and Union general George S. GreeneGeorge S. Greene
George Sears Greene was a civil engineer and a Union general during the American Civil War. He was part of the Greene family of Rhode Island, which had a distinguished military record for the United States. His greatest contribution during the war was his defense of the Union right flank at Culp's...
(1801-1899).
The pier was expanded in 1900 and again in 1919 with the clock tower at the end of the pier. This tower is 70 feet high and the clock installed there in 1919 is a memorial to 116,000 US servicemen who died during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The clock is a ship's clock and was donated by Daniel G. Reid
Daniel G. Reid
Daniel Gray Reid was an American industrialist and philanthropist known as the "Tinplate King".He was born in Richmond, Indiana, and in 1892 bought a nearby tin plate mill, with which he eventually combined every tin plate company in the country to form the American Tin Plate Company, with Reid as...
, founder of United States Steel Corporation. The clock was unveiled at noon on 25 January 1919 by Rear Admiral Josiah S. McKean, with speeches made by the Mayor John Francis Hylan and the Docks Commissioner George Murray Hulbert. It is said to be the first World War I memorial erected in the USA.
In 1991, the American Merchant Mariners' Memorial was installed near this location. Designed by the sculptor Marisol Escobar
Marisol Escobar
Maria Sol Escobar , otherwise known simply as Marisol, is a sculptor born in Paris of Venezuelan lineage, living in Europe, the United States and Caracas.-Education:...
, this memorial is located just south of Pier A on a rebuilt stone breakwater. It is a representation in bronze of four merchant seamen with their sinking vessel after it had been attacked by a U-boat in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The design includes one of the seamen in the water, submerged with each high tide. The memorial was commissioned by the American Merchant Mariners' Memorial, Inc., chaired by Lane Kirkland
Lane Kirkland
Joseph Lane Kirkland was a US labor union leader who served as President of the AFL-CIO for over sixteen years.-Biography:...
, and was dedicated on 8 October 1991.
The New York City Fire Department
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
used the pier for many years as the main station for its Marine Division. The pier has repeatedly had proposals for redevelopment which eventually were not realized. In 2007, Daniel L. Doctoroff
Daniel L. Doctoroff
Daniel L. Doctoroff became President of Bloomberg L.P., the leading global provider of financial data, analytics and news, in January 2008. He was the longest-serving deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding of the City of New York, under Mayor Michael R...
, deputy mayor for economic development, proposed to use the pier building for the ferry terminal to the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
and Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
and other harbor destinations.
The pier featured briefly in the 1965 thriller Mirage with Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
and Diane Baker
Diane Baker
Diane Carol Baker is an American actress who has appeared in motion pictures and on television since 1959.-Early life:...
.