On the Ferry-boats: History of the Brooklyn Ferry, Part 1

Until the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, the only way for someone to travel from the western end of Long Island to Manhattan was via boat. For nearly 300 years, ferries brought people from one shore to another, connecting the two great cities of Brooklyn and New York.

The ferry house and ferry on the Brooklyn side, 1746. From The story of the city of New York by Charles Burr Todd.

Cornelius Dircksen, who operated an inn and small farm near what is now Peck Street in Manhattan, and was granted a small plot of land in Breukelen along an old native path, is generally thought to have established the first ferry service. He would periodically take people to and fro in his scow, and could be called via a horn tied to a tree. In 1642, he exercised his right to operate a regular ferry, costing three stivers worth of wampum or the equivalent for the crossing, which could take up to an hour depending on the weather conditions.

A depiction of a customer calling for ferryman Cornelius Dirkson using the horn. From History of the City of New York by Martha J. Lamb.

As the settlements grew, the ferry did as well, and Dircksen sold it for a considerable profit. It was both busy and chaotic, with reports that people waiting to be taken over to Manhattan were waiting for whole days and sometimes nights, and that they were being charged exorbitant fares by opportunistic ferrymen. This was enough for Director-General Peter Stuyvesant and the Council of New Amsterdam to take notice, and in June 1654 they passed an ordinance “wishing to provide for the discontinuance of all such confusion and irregularities.” 

An official ferry was to be operated by a lessee who provided a ferryhouse in which folks waiting for the ferry would be able to stay, and offered fixed rates of passage for people, livestock, and cargo. The ferry would operate from 5 AM to 8 PM in the summer, and from 7 AM to 5 PM in the winter, barring bad weather, with a provision that boats would not make the journey if the windmill outside of Fort Amsterdam took its sails down. Naturally, the Director-General and members of the Council were exempt from paying to take the ferry.

A map showing the Brookland Ferry (spelling was not yet standardized, and once the English took over New York, it was common to see Brooklyn spelled as Brookland). From The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, edited by Henry R. Stiles, with L.B. Proctor and L.P. Brockett.

A grant to brew beer and open a tavern at the ferry was given in 1654, and in the next year a dedicated ferry house was commissioned by ferryman Egbert van Borsum, containing a fore-room (which could also serve as a tavern), two enclosed bedsteads (in the Dutch style), and a kitchen in the basement. Annetje van Borsum was noted for her culinary abilities, and operated the ferry house tavern after her husband’s death, with her son serving as the ferryman. The wooden ferry house was replaced by a much larger stone and brick structure in 1699, mandated to be a “public house of entertainment.”  In 1704 a road was laid out along the route of the old native path, connecting the ferry with Jamaica and other parts out east.

A hand-drawn map showing the route of the ferry connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan, and its relation to notable features. From Bruijkleen Colonie (Borough of Brooklyn) 1638-1918 by Eugene Armbruster.

Income from the ferries had been paid to the City of New Amsterdam, and the land where the ferry was located was sold to the Corporation of the City of New York in 1694. The city’s operation caused a lot of friction in subsequent years. It was a tremendously profitable enterprise, earning at least £100 a year by the 1690s. 

Petitions to establish other ferries from Brooklyn to Manhattan were dismissed, adding to the frustration about New York’s monopoly and presence in Brooklyn. Folks sued the corporation several times and complained about the high rates for wharfage, in addition to noting that the ferry house was infringing on the road to the ferry. These tensions came to a head in March 1748, when the ferry house, along with a barn and stable were burned down, a suspected arson by angry residents who detested New York.

A south prospect of the Flourishing City of New York, c.1717., also known as the Burgis View. From The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909 by I.N. Phelps Stokes.

The ferry house was rebuilt by the corporation, and was generally called the “Corporation House,” and had a well-known tavern. After the British took over New York in 1776, the ferry tavern was renamed “The King’s Head.” It was a favorite of British officers, and hosted celebrations in honor of King George III, along with diversions such as cricket matches and horse racing. Following the end of the war, it was called “Brooklyn Hall,” and remained on the site until it was destroyed by fire in 1812.  

A second ferry line, dubbed the “New Ferry,” began running to Catherine Street in 1795. As a result, the first ferry, which was often called the Brooklyn Ferry or just “the ferry,” became the “Old Ferry.”

A map showing the original ferry route (on the left), and a new ferry route to the Fly Market, 1797. From Historical sketch of the Fulton ferry and its associated ferries by Henry Evelyn Pierrepont.

More information about the history of the Brooklyn Ferry can be found in Part 2!

Select sources

Brooklyn by Name: How the Neighborhoods, Streets, Parks, Bridges and More Got Their Names by Leonard Bernado and Jennifer Weiss

The Encyclopedia of New York City by Kenneth T. Jackson, Lisa Keller, and Nancy Flood

The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, edited by John B. Manbeck

Brooklynites: The Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities that Shaped a Borough by Prithi Kanakamedala

The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America by Russell Shorto

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