Nassau Electric Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Nassau Electric Railroad was an electric street railway company in the U.S. state
of New York
. The company operated throughout the borough of Brooklyn
, as well as over the Brooklyn Bridge
and Williamsburg Bridge
into Manhattan
.
The company was formed by real estate developer Patrick H. Flynn, who owned land on Fifth Avenue south of 25th Street, where the Atlantic Avenue Railroad
's Fifth Avenue Line
ended. He went to the Atlantic Avenue Railroad and Brooklyn City Rail Road, asking them to extend their lines to serve the area, but the Atlantic Avenue refused because the area was not built up, and the Brooklyn City refused because they had agreed to leave Fifth Avenue to the Atlantic Avenue. Faced with the lack of a railroad connection to his planned subdivision, Flynn incorporated the Coney Island, Fort Hamilton and Brooklyn Railroad, the Union Railroad, the Kings County Electric Railway, and finally the Nassau Electric Railroad to absorb them all.
The CIFH&B was chartered by the New York State Legislature on June 7, 1890 to build from the 39th Street Ferry through New Utrecht
to Coney Island and Fort Hamilton
. Soon the Atlantic Avenue was also interested in extending its Fifth Avenue Line through Flynn's land to 36th Street, which it had a franchise to build to. In 1892, Flynn took over the Union Railroad, which had been chartered on May 6, 1884 and incorporated June 19 by other parties to connect Hamilton Ferry with Prospect Park along Union Street. Flynn's plan was to build the Union Street Line and a connection along Second Avenue to the CIFH&B, allowing the RIFH&B to reach Hamilton Ferry. Flynn also planned to extend the Union Street Line east via East New York
to City Line
. The Kings County Electric Railway was incorporated by Flynn on November 29, 1892 to build a crosstown line from the 39th Street Ferry east along Church Avenue and New Lots Avenue to City Line, and to build from Canarsie Landing north to the city line on the west side of the Cemetery of the Evergreens, crossing the east-west line at Brownsville
and the Union Street Line extension at East New York.
Flynn then incorporated the Nassau Electric Railroad on March 13, 1893 in order to raise more capital for the system and with the right to use the tracks of the other three companies. In the next few years, most of the system's franchised lines, totalling about 100 miles (160 km), were built:
Flynn incorporated the East River and Atlantic Ocean Railroad on November 16, 1895 to gain access to the Brooklyn Bridge
, Long Island City
, and other places. However, the Nassau leased the Atlantic Avenue Railroad
on April 4, 1896, thus gaining Fifth Avenue and other streets north to the bridge, a lease on the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad (West End Line), and several other lines, and the ER&A was no longer necessary.
The Canarsie Depot, at the intersection of Hegeman Avenue (Church Avenue and New Lots Avenue Lines) and Rockaway Avenue (Wilson Avenue Line), stored cars.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The company operated throughout the borough of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, as well as over the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
and Williamsburg Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway...
into 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...
.
The company was formed by real estate developer Patrick H. Flynn, who owned land on Fifth Avenue south of 25th Street, where the Atlantic Avenue Railroad
Atlantic Avenue Railroad
The Atlantic Avenue Railroad was a railroad company in the U.S. state of New York, with a main line connecting downtown Brooklyn with Jamaica along Atlantic Avenue. It was largely a streetcar company that operated its own trains, but the Long Island Rail Road operated both streetcars and steam...
's Fifth Avenue Line
Fifth Avenue Line (Brooklyn surface)
The Fifth Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running mainly along Fifth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue between Fort Hamilton and Cobble Hill...
ended. He went to the Atlantic Avenue Railroad and Brooklyn City Rail Road, asking them to extend their lines to serve the area, but the Atlantic Avenue refused because the area was not built up, and the Brooklyn City refused because they had agreed to leave Fifth Avenue to the Atlantic Avenue. Faced with the lack of a railroad connection to his planned subdivision, Flynn incorporated the Coney Island, Fort Hamilton and Brooklyn Railroad, the Union Railroad, the Kings County Electric Railway, and finally the Nassau Electric Railroad to absorb them all.
The CIFH&B was chartered by the New York State Legislature on June 7, 1890 to build from the 39th Street Ferry through New Utrecht
New Utrecht, Brooklyn
New Utrecht was the last of six towns to be founded in what is today the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It was named after the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. In 1652 Cornelius van Werckhoven, a surveyor born in Utrecht and a principal investor in the Dutch West India Company, began purchasing...
to Coney Island and Fort Hamilton
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...
. Soon the Atlantic Avenue was also interested in extending its Fifth Avenue Line through Flynn's land to 36th Street, which it had a franchise to build to. In 1892, Flynn took over the Union Railroad, which had been chartered on May 6, 1884 and incorporated June 19 by other parties to connect Hamilton Ferry with Prospect Park along Union Street. Flynn's plan was to build the Union Street Line and a connection along Second Avenue to the CIFH&B, allowing the RIFH&B to reach Hamilton Ferry. Flynn also planned to extend the Union Street Line east via East New York
East New York, Brooklyn
East New York is a residential neighborhood located in the Eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 5...
to City Line
City Line, Brooklyn
City Line is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, bordering the neighborhoods of Cypress Hills to the north and Ozone Park, Queens to the east, and the Shore Parkway to the south...
. The Kings County Electric Railway was incorporated by Flynn on November 29, 1892 to build a crosstown line from the 39th Street Ferry east along Church Avenue and New Lots Avenue to City Line, and to build from Canarsie Landing north to the city line on the west side of the Cemetery of the Evergreens, crossing the east-west line at Brownsville
Brownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
and the Union Street Line extension at East New York.
Flynn then incorporated the Nassau Electric Railroad on March 13, 1893 in order to raise more capital for the system and with the right to use the tracks of the other three companies. In the next few years, most of the system's franchised lines, totalling about 100 miles (160 km), were built:
- Fifth Avenue LineFifth Avenue Line (Brooklyn surface)The Fifth Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running mainly along Fifth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue between Fort Hamilton and Cobble Hill...
, Sunset ParkSunset Park, BrooklynSunset Park is a neighborhood in the western section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Greenwood Heights to the north, Borough Park to the east, Bay Ridge to the south, and Upper New York Bay to the west...
to Fort HamiltonFort Hamilton, BrooklynFort 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... - 86th Street Line, Bay RidgeBay Ridge, BrooklynBay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Sunset Park on the north, Seventh Avenue and Dyker Heights on the east, The Narrows Strait, which partially houses the Belt Parkway, on the west and 86th Street and Fort Hamilton on...
to Bath BeachBath Beach, BrooklynBath Beach is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn in the United States. It is located at the southwestern edge of the borough on Gravesend Bay.-Geography:...
(connecting there with the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad (West End Line) to Coney Island) - Marcy Avenue Line and Ocean Avenue Line, WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, BrooklynWilliamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
to Sheepshead BaySheepshead Bay, BrooklynSheepshead Bay is a bay separating the mainland of Brooklyn, New York City from the eastern portion of Coney Island, the latter originally a barrier island but now effectively an extension of the mainland with peninsulas both east and west... - Wilson Avenue LineWilson Avenue LineThe Wilson Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along Wilson Avenue and Rockaway Avenue between Williamsburg and Canarsie...
and Rockaway Parkway LineRockaway Parkway LineThe Rockaway Parkway Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running mostly along Rockaway Parkway between Canarsie Pier and the Canarsie – Rockaway Parkway terminal of the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway...
, Williamsburg to Canarsie Landing - St. Johns Place LineSt. Johns Place LineThe St. Johns Place Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York, mainly along Atlantic Avenue, Washington Avenue, Sterling Place, and St. Johns Place between Downtown Brooklyn and Crown Heights...
and Liberty Avenue Line, Crown HeightsCrown Heights, BrooklynCrown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
to City LineCity Line, BrooklynCity Line is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, bordering the neighborhoods of Cypress Hills to the north and Ozone Park, Queens to the east, and the Shore Parkway to the south... - Church Avenue LineChurch Avenue Line (surface)The Church Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running mainly along 39th Street and Church Avenue between Sunset Park and Brownsville...
and New Lots Avenue Line, 39th Street Ferry (Sunset ParkSunset Park, BrooklynSunset Park is a neighborhood in the western section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Greenwood Heights to the north, Borough Park to the east, Bay Ridge to the south, and Upper New York Bay to the west...
) to New LotsNew Lots, BrooklynNew Lots is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in the eastern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It was known as the Town of New Lots from 1852 when the area seceded from the Town of Flatbush until it was annexed in 1886 as the 26th Ward of Brooklyn. The population is...
Flynn incorporated the East River and Atlantic Ocean Railroad on November 16, 1895 to gain access to the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
, Long Island City
Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City is the westernmost neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. L.I.C. is notable for its rapid and ongoing gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. L.I.C. has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio...
, and other places. However, the Nassau leased the Atlantic Avenue Railroad
Atlantic Avenue Railroad
The Atlantic Avenue Railroad was a railroad company in the U.S. state of New York, with a main line connecting downtown Brooklyn with Jamaica along Atlantic Avenue. It was largely a streetcar company that operated its own trains, but the Long Island Rail Road operated both streetcars and steam...
on April 4, 1896, thus gaining Fifth Avenue and other streets north to the bridge, a lease on the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad (West End Line), and several other lines, and the ER&A was no longer necessary.
The Canarsie Depot, at the intersection of Hegeman Avenue (Church Avenue and New Lots Avenue Lines) and Rockaway Avenue (Wilson Avenue Line), stored cars.