Graniteville, Staten Island
Encyclopedia
Graniteville is the name of a neighborhood in Staten Island
, one of the five borough
s of New York City
, USA
.
were operated in the area from 1841 to 1896, leading to the community's name being changed first to Granite Village, then Graniteville.
Largely rural well into the 20th century, Graniteville was the scene of a notable fire in March 1942, when an explosion at the Consolidated Fireworks Company on Richmond Avenue claimed the lives of five employees.
Bisected from east to west by the Staten Island Expressway and with New York State Route 440
forming its western boundary, Graniteville's most notable landmark is Baron Hirsch Cemetery, an 80 acre (324,000 m²) Jewish cemetery founded in the late 19th century and still in active use; in August 2001 this cemetery became the focus of a local health-related story when it was one of six locations on the island where mosquito
s carrying the West Nile virus
were discovered.
Residential development in the area burgeoned soon after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
opened in November 1964, and today Graniteville stands at the north end of a busy commercial strip along Richmond Avenue; this strip, which extends to the vicinity of the Staten Island Mall
approximately 4 miles (6 km) away, is the scene of some of the heaviest automotive traffic on Staten Island.
According to the 2010 census, the demographics or Graniteville (made up of tracts 291.04 and 303.01) are approximately 68.66% White, 8.63% Black or African American, 12.41% Asian, 7.72% Some Other Race, and 3.28% Two or More Races. The Native American population was 0.15%, and the Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander population was 0.14%.
Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 20.43% of the population.
The population density was 13,425.20 people per square mile, with a density of housing units of 4,876.15 per square mile. (http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/)
, and I.S.51 (Markham Intermediate School) or I.S.72 (Rocco Laurie Intermediate School
), as well as Port Richmond High School
. The John W. Lavelle Preparatory Charter School opened in September 2009 and is the first charter school (a school that is publicly funded, but privately run) on Staten Island. Also,a new school called P.S./I.S. 861 opened in September. This is Staten Island's first K to 8 school. Residents don't have a library in the community and use the Port Richmond and Todt Hill-Westerleigh branches of the New York Public Library. A branch in nearby Mariners Harbor
is expected to open in 2011.
, the S46/S96 on South Avenue
, the S44/S94, and S59/S89 on Richmond Avenue
. It is also served by express buses to Manhattan (the X30 on Forest Avenue
/South Avenue
s, the X12/X42 on Forest Avenue
/Richmond Avenue
s, the X10 on Richmond Avenue
, and the X17 on Richmond Avenue
/Goethals Road North/Lamberts Lane).
in New Springville
. The new precinct would be the 121st Precinct and would cover the northwestern section of Staten Island, including Mariners Harbor
, Port Richmond
, Bloomfield
, Bulls Head
, Westerleigh
, and Willowbrook
.
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...
, one of the five borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
s of 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...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
Graniteville was originally named Bennett's Corners and Fayetteville. Quarries for trap rockTrap rock
Trap rock is a form of igneous rock that tends to form polygonal vertical fractures, most typically hexagonal, but also four to eight sided. The fracture pattern forms when magma of suitable chemical composition intrudes as a sill or extrudes as a thick lava flow, and slowly cools.Because of the...
were operated in the area from 1841 to 1896, leading to the community's name being changed first to Granite Village, then Graniteville.
Largely rural well into the 20th century, Graniteville was the scene of a notable fire in March 1942, when an explosion at the Consolidated Fireworks Company on Richmond Avenue claimed the lives of five employees.
Bisected from east to west by the Staten Island Expressway and with New York State Route 440
New York State Route 440
New York State Route 440 is a state highway located entirely on Staten Island in New York City. The route acts as a connector between the two segments of New Jersey Route 440, running from the Staten Island community of Richmond Valley to the south to Port Richmond to the north...
forming its western boundary, Graniteville's most notable landmark is Baron Hirsch Cemetery, an 80 acre (324,000 m²) Jewish cemetery founded in the late 19th century and still in active use; in August 2001 this cemetery became the focus of a local health-related story when it was one of six locations on the island where mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
s carrying the West Nile virus
West Nile virus
West Nile virus is a virus of the family Flaviviridae. Part of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of viruses, it is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horses, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, domestic...
were discovered.
Residential development in the area burgeoned soon after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay....
opened in November 1964, and today Graniteville stands at the north end of a busy commercial strip along Richmond Avenue; this strip, which extends to the vicinity of the Staten Island Mall
Staten Island Mall
Staten Island Mall is a shopping mall in the Staten Island borough of New York City, United States. It is the only indoor shopping mall in the borough. It is the largest retail center on the island and is the site of the island's second largest public transit hub after the St...
approximately 4 miles (6 km) away, is the scene of some of the heaviest automotive traffic on Staten Island.
According to the 2010 census, the demographics or Graniteville (made up of tracts 291.04 and 303.01) are approximately 68.66% White, 8.63% Black or African American, 12.41% Asian, 7.72% Some Other Race, and 3.28% Two or More Races. The Native American population was 0.15%, and the Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander population was 0.14%.
Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 20.43% of the population.
The population density was 13,425.20 people per square mile, with a density of housing units of 4,876.15 per square mile. (http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/)
Education
Public school students in Graniteville are mostly zoned for P.S.60 and P.S.22PS22 chorus
The PS22 Chorus is an elementary school chorus from Public School 22 in Graniteville, Staten Island . It is composed of 60-70 fifth-graders, and is directed by Gregg Breinberg. Students are assigned to the chorus after an annual auditioning process at the beginning of each school year...
, and I.S.51 (Markham Intermediate School) or I.S.72 (Rocco Laurie Intermediate School
Rocco Laurie Intermediate School
The P.O. Rocco Laurie Intermediate School refers to New York City Intermediate School 72 in Staten Island, New York. It is a Title I school. It is located at 33 Ferndale Avenue in Heartland Village, Staten Island. Heartland Village is part of New Springville, Staten Island. The school was named...
), as well as Port Richmond High School
Port Richmond High School
Port Richmond High School is on the North Shore of Staten Island in the Port Richmond neighborhood. It is located at 85 St Josephs Avenue, between Innis Street and Charles Avenue. The principal is Timothy M. Gannon....
. The John W. Lavelle Preparatory Charter School opened in September 2009 and is the first charter school (a school that is publicly funded, but privately run) on Staten Island. Also,a new school called P.S./I.S. 861 opened in September. This is Staten Island's first K to 8 school. Residents don't have a library in the community and use the Port Richmond and Todt Hill-Westerleigh branches of the New York Public Library. A branch in nearby Mariners Harbor
Mariners Harbor, Staten Island
Mariners Harbor is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of New York City, USA's borough of Staten Island. It is bordered by Lake Avenue to the east, Lisk Avenue to the south, Richmond Terrace to the north, and Holland Avenue to the west...
is expected to open in 2011.
Transportation
Graniteville is served by the S48/S98 on Forest AvenueNew York State Route 439
New York State Route 439 was an east–west state highway on Staten Island in New York, United States. The western terminus of the route was at the Goethals Bridge, where it continued into New Jersey as its Route 439. Its eastern terminus was at the Staten Island Ferry terminal in the St....
, the S46/S96 on South Avenue
South Avenue
South Avenue is a major north-south artery along the West Shore of the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is approximately long, and runs through the neighborhoods of Arlington, Mariners Harbor, Graniteville, Bulls Head, Bloomfield, Chelsea, and Travis.Most of the area that South Avenue...
, the S44/S94, and S59/S89 on Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue is an integral north-south thoroughfare on Staten Island. Measuring approximately 7.0 miles , the road runs from the community of Graniteville to the south shore community of Eltingville.- Street description :...
. It is also served by express buses to Manhattan (the X30 on Forest Avenue
New York State Route 439
New York State Route 439 was an east–west state highway on Staten Island in New York, United States. The western terminus of the route was at the Goethals Bridge, where it continued into New Jersey as its Route 439. Its eastern terminus was at the Staten Island Ferry terminal in the St....
/South Avenue
South Avenue
South Avenue is a major north-south artery along the West Shore of the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is approximately long, and runs through the neighborhoods of Arlington, Mariners Harbor, Graniteville, Bulls Head, Bloomfield, Chelsea, and Travis.Most of the area that South Avenue...
s, the X12/X42 on Forest Avenue
New York State Route 439
New York State Route 439 was an east–west state highway on Staten Island in New York, United States. The western terminus of the route was at the Goethals Bridge, where it continued into New Jersey as its Route 439. Its eastern terminus was at the Staten Island Ferry terminal in the St....
/Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue is an integral north-south thoroughfare on Staten Island. Measuring approximately 7.0 miles , the road runs from the community of Graniteville to the south shore community of Eltingville.- Street description :...
s, the X10 on Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue is an integral north-south thoroughfare on Staten Island. Measuring approximately 7.0 miles , the road runs from the community of Graniteville to the south shore community of Eltingville.- Street description :...
, and the X17 on Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue is an integral north-south thoroughfare on Staten Island. Measuring approximately 7.0 miles , the road runs from the community of Graniteville to the south shore community of Eltingville.- Street description :...
/Goethals Road North/Lamberts Lane).
Law Enforcement
The community is scheduled to get its own police stationhouse located at 974 Richmond Avenue. The stationhouse is scheduled for completion by July 2012 and is going to replace the 122nd Precinct satellite station near the Staten Island MallStaten Island Mall
Staten Island Mall is a shopping mall in the Staten Island borough of New York City, United States. It is the only indoor shopping mall in the borough. It is the largest retail center on the island and is the site of the island's second largest public transit hub after the St...
in New Springville
New Springville, Staten Island
New Springville is a neighborhood in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, USA.-History:Located near the island's geographical center, the neighborhood was founded in 1680 as Karle's Neck Village...
. The new precinct would be the 121st Precinct and would cover the northwestern section of Staten Island, including Mariners Harbor
Mariners Harbor, Staten Island
Mariners Harbor is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of New York City, USA's borough of Staten Island. It is bordered by Lake Avenue to the east, Lisk Avenue to the south, Richmond Terrace to the north, and Holland Avenue to the west...
, Port Richmond
Port Richmond, Staten Island
Port Richmond is a neighborhood situated on the North Shore of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, United States. It is along the waterfront of the Kill Van Kull, with the southern terminus of the Bayonne Bridge serving as the boundary between it and Mariners Harbor, the...
, Bloomfield
Bloomfield, Staten Island
Bloomfield is the name of a neighborhood on the West Shore of the New York City borough of Staten Island, New York, USA. It lies immediately to the north of Travis. Prall's Island is situated in the Arthur Kill off its coast....
, Bulls Head
Bulls Head, Staten Island
Bulls Head is a neighborhood in west-central Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of the USA's largest city, New York.The community received its name from an 18th-century tavern located at the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Richmond Avenue , from which a sign bearing a bull's head was...
, Westerleigh
Westerleigh, Staten Island
-Geography:Westerleigh is located in the northwest quadrant of the borough and is bounded in the east by Manor Road, the west by Crystal Avenue, the south by Victory Boulevard and to the north by College Avenue....
, and Willowbrook
Willowbrook, Staten Island
Willowbrook is a neighborhood in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City. It is located in the region of the island usually referred to as Mid-Island, immediately to the south of Port Richmond, to the west of Meiers Corners and Westerleigh, to the north of New Springville, and to...
.