CRRNJ Terminal
Originally chartered in 1838, “The Elizabeth and Somerville Railroad Company” operated a fledgling line in Elizabeth. Christened the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) in 1849, the line reached Phillipsburg, New Jersey by 1852. In 1860, the CRRNJ chartered a waterfront location in Jersey City. Completed four years later, the terminal was constructed primarily on landfill from New York City and ballast from ocean going vessels. The new CRRNJ Terminal provided both an easy route across the Hudson and a gateway to the ocean.
Heavier transportation demands soon rendered the original terminal inadequate. By 1889, a new terminal had been designed and constructed by the Boston architectural firm of Peabody and Stearns. The three-story head house joined twelve tracks with six platforms to the ferry slips at the water’s edge. Service and repair facilities float bridges, barges and thawing sheds combined to make this complex the largest in the New York Harbor at the turn of the century.
With the opening of the Immigration Station on Ellis Island in 1892, traffic increased dramatically. Two-thirds of these courageous newcomers, welcomed by the Statue of Liberty and processed on Ellis Island, started their new lives via the CRRNJ Terminal, settling in New Jersey or traveling on to other states.
Today, the terminal is part of Liberty State Park, and along with nearby Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty recalls the era of massive immigration to the United States. It is estimated that around 10.5 million entered the country through the station.
The terminal is one of the main attractions at Liberty State Park, housing a museum with permanent and rotating exhibitions. Ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island depart daily. Numerous fairs, concerts, and other sponsored events (among them the Central Jersey Heritage Festival and the All Points West Music & Arts Festival) take place at the station and its grounds, which is a very popular place from which to view 4 July fireworks. On September 11, 2001 its parking lot was the staging area for dozens of ambulances that were mobilized to transport victims of the attack. There are proposals to built a trolley line to the terminal building and other points in the park from the Liberty State Park Station of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail, which is also served by NJT Bus 6 .
The main ferry from the terminal crossed the river to Pier 39 at Liberty Street and West Street in Manhattan, with additional service to 23rd Street. The B&O’s Royal Blue service crossed to Whitehall/South Street. Until the opening of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge there was also service to Brooklyn and Staten Island Other boats, among them the SS Asbury Park and SS Sandy Hook, which travelled to the Raritan Bayshore.