Massacre at Corlears Hook

The name Corlears Hook originates from a seventeenth century Dutch landowner named Jacob Van Corlear, who established a plantation on this prominent bend in the Manhattan shoreline. The land served as a key transition point between the open water and the developing colony, providing a gradual incline that was ideal for landing canoes and later for loading transport vessels. This geographic hook became a major landmark for early sailors entering the East River.