James G. Ferreri is the past president of the Preservation League of Staten Island and an interior designer. Passionate about the preservation and restoration of historic homes, he is the author of a monthly history column in the Staten Island Advance. David Goldfarb has lived on Staten Island in Stapleton and St. George for over 37 years. He is active in historic preservation on Staten Island and in New York City and is an attorney in New York City. Ferreri and Goldfarb are the authors of St. George.
Title: Book provides a new look back at Stapleton Author: Marjorie
Hack Publisher: silive.com Date: 8/26/2010
You can't turn back the hands of time, but in their newest volume
"Images of America: Stapleton" (Arcadia Publishing), preservation
advocates James G. Ferreri of Sunnyside and David Goldfarb of St.
George come awfully close to doing just that.
In the process, they show that the community, which bridges the
North and East shores of Staten Island, closely resembles that
handsome young kid who bursts onto the scene brimming with promise
and panache, realizes his potential and then begins to fade.
Still, thanks to a number of residents who have peopled this
community in recent years, and historical stewards who have spent
hours documenting both its roots and its glory days, this is a
neighborhood that is far from lost. In fact, with a pretty grand
housing stock, lovely town square, ample commercial space and
proximity to the Ferry, Stapleton could easily be one of the next
happening spots in the city of New York.
It's just waiting to be re-discovered by someone like its original
founders William J. Staples and his partner Monthorne Tompkins, who
purchased a large parcel of land in 1832 to develop as a real
estate venture. Four years later, according to Goldfarb and
Ferreri, the two started a ferry service from the community's
waterfront to Manhattan across New York Bay and began advertising
the brave new world's assets.
It didn't take long for the buzz to begin - especially among German
immigrants who bought up lots and started brewing beer. Soon,
Stapleton became the epicenter of a large and highly profitable
brewing industry. The wealth generated by the breweries led to the
construction of some fabulous mansions and estates - some of which
still stand along the hillier reaches of the community.
The wealth also drew doctors, many of whom set up shop near the
intersection of Beach and Van Duzer streets, once a picturesque,
leafy byway framed by tidy picket fences and inviting stoops.
Grand churches were built; so were lots of smaller cottages that
housed the work force.
But, life is about nothing if not change, and Stapleton's
German-led heyday was not to last forever. Today, it's a community
in flux, looking to be relevant and forward-thinking for new
generations but also hoping to retain the purpose and character of
its past.
The photographs in this volume are wonderful, and the accompanying
text will correct many misconceptions about the community's roots
and rise.
According to Goldfarb, one of the most interesting facts he and
Ferreri discovered was that Stapleton was once home to a
professional football team. Founded in 1915, the Staten Island
Stapes obtained an NFL franchise in 1929. They played in Thompson
Stadium, which stood where the Stapleton Houses, a city apartment
complex, now stands. Unfortunately, the team never had a winning
season, and the franchise was forfeited in 1935. The original team
owner was Daniel Blaine, one of whose great grand nephews provided
some team pictures for the book.
Ferreri and Goldfarb published a similar book about St. George last
year. There are two other Arcadia books available relevant to
Staten Island - one on Port Richmond by Phillip Papas and Lori R.
Weintrob, and the other about the communities of Richmond and
Lighthouse Hill, written by Margaret Ludrigan in 1996.
"Images of America: Stapleton" is available for $21.99. It can be
purchased at area bookstores, independent and online retailers, or
through Arcadia Publishing at 888-313-2665 or
www.arcadiapublishing.com.
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