Cortlandt Street Ferry Depot

The Cortlandt Street Ferry Depot served for nearly two centuries as a vital maritime gateway, connecting lower Manhattan to the rail lines of New Jersey. Its history began in seventeen sixty four with a ferry running to a local wharf at the foot of what is now Cortlandt Street. By eighteen twelve, this location hosted the world’s first steam-powered ferry service, which slashed the transit time across the Hudson River to a then-astonishing fourteen minutes. This technological leap transformed the waterfront into a bustling hub for the Pennsylvania Railroad and the West Shore Railroad, facilitating the daily commute for thousands of passengers.