Many students of the Civil War who know that that famous ironclad Monitor was built in Brooklyn, assume that it was built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. That assumption is wrong. In fact, it was built north of the Navy Yard at the Bushwick Inlet neer Greenpoint. While the site has never been restored or fully memorialized, there is now a sign marking the location and announcing that a museum will someday go up on the historic ground. While there is are abandoned decaying industrial buildings at the site, relics of the old naval works located here, there is also a park being redeveloped by the city that looks promising.
The site is at Franklin St. and North 15th Street in Greenpoint. This is where what would become the Continental Iron Works set up shop in 1851 under the direction of its leader Samuel Sneden. In 1859 the Continental Iron Works built its first iron-hulled ships and the company passed into the ownership of Thomas Rowland. When the Civil War began, Rowland travelled to Washington to advocate for the building of ironclads. His efforts were not successful when first made in May of 1861, but by the Fall his company was working on the most revolutionary ship of the 1860s.
On October 4, 1861 Swedish inventor John Ericsson signed a contract with the Navy for the development of the U.S.S. Monitor. The ship had to be completed in one hundred days. On October 25, 1861 Ericsson signed Continental iron works on to build the ship. At the time, it was one of the few American companies with experience building an iron hull. The ship was built in 101 days and launched into the Bushwick Inlet from Continental. The ship soon sailed past Lower Manhattan and on towards Virginia.
The view below shows the Inlet. Across the East River can be seen the large offices of Manhattan (including the Empire State Building), the Inlet being across from Manhattan’s 13th St.
The illustration below shows the launch of the Monitor on January 30, 1862 into Bushwick Inlet.
The new Bushwick Inlet Park at the site began to be redeveloped in the 21st Century. In 2005, half a million dollars was awarded to begin planning a Monitor museum at the site, but apart from fundraising little is visible from that effort. The city has spent roughly $350 million to acquire the property around the inlet and park facilities began to be built in 2016.
When it is completed, the park will offer sports and recreation facilities overlooking the East river, with several rustic views integrated with stunning sights of Manhattan’s skyline. The city is very aware of the historic nature of the site, but I have not seen full plans on how the Monitor will be interpreted there.
The photo below shows the construction of The Puritan at the site. After the Monitor, Continental built four more single turret Monitors and two double turret Monitors. The Puritan was a Monitor class ship. The photo was taken in 1864.
In addition, the waterfront site begs for interpretation of New York’s maritime and industrial past. In recent decades the city has done a much better job in educating residents about the history, so I am at least hopeful.
Immediately across the street from the Inlet is the Greenpoint Beer & Ale Company. The Brewery has a restaurant at 1150 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn.
For now, sections of the park closest to the old Continental Iron Works are still fenced off. Hopefully we will soon be able to walk down to where the Monitor first touched water.
I drove to the site on a weekend and found street parking nearby. The site is twelve blocks from Msgr. McGolrick Park where the New York State monument commemorating the Monitor stands. If you visit that monument, grab a Polish lunch at one of the neighborhood restaurants.
You can also visit the John Ericsson statue in Battery Park in Manhattan.
The new NYC ferry system has a port at the Brooklyn 5th St. Pier that is just six blocks from the Bushwick Inlet. The ferry is the same price as a subway ride, with a lot better view.
This article highlights why this page is one of the very best for CW/WBTS history!!!
Thanks.