 | |
 Interactive map of Hoffman Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lower New York Bay |
| Coordinates | 40°34′44″N74°03′13″W / 40.578873°N 74.053688°W /40.578873; -74.053688 |
| Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| State |  New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Staten Island |
Hoffman Island is an 11-acre (4.5 ha)artificial island in theLower New York Bay, off theSouth Beach ofStaten Island,New York City.[1] A smaller, 4-acre (1.6 ha) artificial island,Swinburne Island, lies immediately to the south.[2] Created in 1873 upon the Orchard Shoal[3] by the addition ofland fill, the island is named for formerNew York City mayor (1866–1868) andNew York Governor (1869–1871)John Thompson Hoffman.[4]
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Hoffman and Swinburne Islands were used as aquarantine station, housing immigrants who, upon their arrival at the immigrant inspection station at nearbyEllis Island, presented with symptoms of contagious diseases.[1]
Starting in 1938 and extending throughWorld War II, theUnited States Merchant Marine used Hoffman and Swinburne Islands as a training station.[4][5] TheQuonset huts built during this period are no longer evident on Hoffman Island. As of 2017, their remnants remain onSwinburne Island. During World War II the islands also served as anchorages foranti-submarine nets intended to protect New York Bay and its associated shipping/naval activities, from enemy submarines entering from the Atlantic Ocean.[4]
Since World War II, several proposals for utilizing Hoffman and Swinburne Islands have been presented. In the 1950s, city plannerRobert Moses and political consultantBernard Baruch advocated transforming the islands into a city park, but this plan was not realized.[6] In 1962, theNew York City Board of Estimate had approved the purchase of rock excavated from theRichmond Tunnel for a bulkhead to join the two islands, but the rock dug out from the tunnel was of poor quality and was instead dumped on theNorth Shore of Staten Island.[7][8]
In 1965 on Hoffman Island, eleven people, including the filmmakerLeon Gast, were arrested on charges including trespassing and indecent exposure for their roles in creating aNudie film on the island.[9][10]
In the 1980s, in response to plans of New York City to open new homeless shelters amidst Staten Island's residential neighborhoods, some of the potentially affected residents proposed a never-implemented plan to construct a homeless shelter on Hoffman Island, Swinburne Island or both.[11]
Hoffman and Swinburne islands are managed by theNational Park Service, as part of the Staten Island Unit ofGateway National Recreation Area. The island was transferred from the city to the National Park Service in 1974.[12] To protect the islands' avian residents, which includegreat egret,snowy egret,black-crowned night heron,glossy ibis,double-crested cormorant andgreat black-backed gull, the island is off limits to the public. Beginning in 2001,harbor seals have been observed wintering on and near the islands.[2]
April 23, 1863, what is now known as the General Quarantine Act was passed, defining the quarantine establishment, authorizing its construction, creating the permanent office of Quarantine Commissioner, defining the duties and powers of the Commissioners and Health Officer, and establishing a general system of quarantine for the port. Additional powers were conferred by amendments made to this general act in 1864, 1865, 1866, and 1867, under which two small steamers were purchased; the property at Tompkinsville, Staten Island, known as the Marine Hospital Grounds, was sold; and the artificial islands in the lower bay were undertaken and afterward completed – Swinburne Island in 1860, and Hoffman Island in 1873.
| Major islands |  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelham Islands | |||||
| New York Bay |
| ||||
| Jamaica Bay | |||||
| North River (Hudson River) | |||||
Former islands shown initalics | |||||
40°34′44″N74°03′13″W / 40.578873°N 74.053688°W /40.578873; -74.053688
