Dyckman Street Boat Basin    

At the foot of Dyckman Street on the Hudson River is a boat basin and marina that few are aware is still in existence. This locale is in the Tubby Hook section of Inwood that was one of the best-kept secrets until recently.

This area has been known by as Tubby Hook since colonial times and encompasses the area of Dyckman Street west of Broadway to the Hudson River. This small hamlet grew in the sheltered valley between Fort Tryon Park and Inwood Hill Park. In 1819, fishermen’s huts were constructed as a fishing station, which eventually developed into a small village.

The origins of the area’s name has been the subject of discussion. One source says it derives from the name of Tuber, who was a ferryman who ran a ferry concession across the Hudson River to New Jersey. Another source, James Riker, author of “The History of Harlem,” says that it is the corruption of the name of a Washington Heights resident, Peter Ubrecht, who married into the Dyckman Family in 1713.

Riker thought that Ubrecht’s name had been cannibalized and shortened to Opbro or Ubby and then a Dutch “the” had been prefixed, thus becoming T’ubby Hook. The name has stuck to the present day.

As one walks west on Dyckman Street from Broadway toward the river, there is an abandoned powerhouse under the tracks that was once used by the New York & Hudson River Railroad Company for the Inwood (or Tubby Hook) Station. There had been regular train service from lower Manhattan to Albany with this as one of the line’s many station stops. The Company was organized in 1847. The station is no longer used, and the power station is derelict. Amtrak has used the tracks since the 1990s. From there the pedestrian can see the marina.

The Dyckman Street Boat Basin has been a haven for boaters who use it to sail along the Hudson River. In the early part of the 20th Century when the community had many estates, the marina was used as a docking facility by the residents for their yachts. One such resident was C.K.G. Billings who owned property in what is now Fort Tryon Park.

The marina served as a ferry landing for the New York and Englewood Ferry Corporation, which operated from June 17, 1915, to May 21, 1942. The New Jersey terminal was at the Englewood Dock, which is now known as the Englewood Yacht Club. Originally, it had a 2-story pier for small excursion boats in the 1940s, and it is now surrounded by the Palisades Interstate Park.

The Palisades Mountain House was opened for business on June 7, 1860, by a syndicate headed by Andrew Bogert. The 4-story brick and stone hotel was located south of Palisade Avenue on top of the cliffs of the Palisades. It had porticoes on three sides with towers and a mansard roof in the best Victorian style of architecture.

Bogert and his syndicate leased the building to David Hammond, who managed the Murray Hill and Plaza Hotels in New York City. William Perry was installed as acting manager of the Palisade Mountain House by Hammond to attract high-class clientele.

The owners of the Mountain House formed a subsidiary company called the Englewood Dock and Turnpike Company. The purpose of the subsidiary was to build a carriage road and footpath down the cliff of the Palisades and construct a dock which would allow two steamboats per day to connect with lower Manhattan. The footpath and road still exist today. Palisade Avenue, which was named for the turnpike, connected with a steep curving road and a hairpin turn known as the Devil’s Elbow down the 375 foot cliff to the shore.

In 1884 the hotel burned down and was never rebuilt. This forced the company to reorganize and change its name to the Palisades Road and Turnpike Company, which provided a trolley connection from the residences at the top of the Palisades to the shore of the Hudson River. The dock was improved to allow for more steamboats to various destinations along the river.

From 1884 to 1903, the property was known as Allison Point, named for William Outis Allison, who built his mansion at the site. Saint Joseph’s Orphanage moved to the site in 1907. In time, Saint Peter’s College purchased the estate for its campus.

During the ferry’s operation, passengers crossed the Hudson to connect with the trolley service to various points from the foot of Palisade Avenue, which had been the main street for Englewood and Englewood Cliffs. One of these trolleys went to the Palisades Amusement Park in Fort Lee. On the Manhattan side, passengers connected with the subway, trolley and the New York and Hudson River Railroad.

When the Dyckman Street-Englewood Ferry opened, the fare was 3 cents per trip. In time and with inflation, the fare was increased to 5 cents. The ferry had some famous passengers. These included tea magnate Thomas Lipton, tycoon John D. Rockefeller, Sr., and evangelist and former baseball star William “Billy” Ashley Sunday.

Several of the ferries had become famous over the years of operation at Dyckman Street. The Florida, Englewood, Brinkerhoff and Tenafly ferries faithfully transported thousands of vehicles and pedestrians across the Hudson River. During the 1964 World’s Fair, there was service from Englewood Marina to the Flushing Meadow Marina. Three boats — Dolly Madison, Fair Maid and Theresa — were used to transport the fair-goers.

In 1942, the last remaining float bridge at the Dyckman Marina collapsed onto one of the ferries, pinning the boat to the slip and thus causing the service to end. As a result of this the Rockland Coach Company and the Hill Bus Company (predecessor of the Red & Tan Lines), which had operated from the Dyckman Street dock to various parts of New Jersey and New York State, moved their operations to cross over the George Washington Bridge into New York City.

During the Second World War, any thoughts of restoring service had been discouraged. Ferry service at Dyckman Street resumed on a limited basis from 1948 to 1951. Service was ended as a result of dilapidation of equipment rather than lack of auto and pedestrian traffic.

About 150 yards south of the marina is the Inwood Boat and Canoe Club. Nestled in the shadow of Fort Tryon Park, it is one of the last boat clubs that dotted the shores of the Hudson River. The club is a member of the American Canoe Association, of which it is one of 30 clubs in the Atlantic Division. Of its 65 members, some are former Olympic athletes. Other members aspire to be Olympic hopefuls.

In July 1989, a fire destroyed the two-story boathouse. According to Fire Department sources, arson was the cause. Most of the club’s racing boats, such as canoes and kayaks, were destroyed. A century of memorabilia, including awards, photographs, antique canoes with birch bark skins over cedar ribs, a reproduction of an Indian war canoe and a slice of local history was destroyed in the conflagration. A new building was constructed and the club continues.

The Dyckman Marina could still be used for ferry service. With the resurgence of ferry service it could be a vital link to lower Manhattan. The docks could be rebuilt and enlarged and the bed of the Hudson River could be dredged to allow ferry service to resume.

A new restaurant has opened in the basin: the Tubby Hook Café, located at 348 Dyckman Street. It can be reached at 212-567-8086. For information on the Dyckman Marina, call 212-496-2105 or 212-567-5120. For schedules of Amtrak service to Albany, log on to www.amtrak.com. For information on Saint Peter’s College, log on to www.spc.edu.

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Readers’ Comments

Prior to 1950, and for some time after, where the boat basin & marina are now, it was Cater-White Seaplane base. I started my flying lessons there on April 19, 1950 and flew off the Hudson River at Dykman Street for more than a year. My last flight there was November 25, 1951. Few people knew of the existance of a seaplane base at Dykman Street. (Posted by John Schaefer on December 18, 2004 04:02 PM.)

I remember the seaplanes at Dykman Street. I used to play a lot of baseball at the ballfields there and remember the seaplane very well. Airplanes were still a novelty then and whenever I saw one I usually stopped and looked at it. More than likely I saw you flying. (Posted by David Scxhweller on December 21, 2004 09:29 PM.)

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