Saving the Abandoned Port Morris Gantries in the Bronx
Untapped NY
By Michelle Young
New York City’s remaining gantries loom like industrial relics, reminding us of a once bustling waterfront where railroads and ships powered the nation’s industry. Some gantries have been preserved, like the pair at Hunters Point in Long Island City or those at Governors Island which serve as branded visual icons, or the one along the Hudson River at 69th Street that rises curiously from the water. Others are more remote and off-limits, including ones at North Brother Island and on Hart Island.
A pair of gantries in the Bronx fall into this latter category. Because they sit on land inaccessible to the public, the Port Morris gantries are far less well-known, but no less notable. Now, a new effort has been started to landmark these maritime structures. Recently, a request to landmark the gantries was sent to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the group behind the effort is collecting a petition in support. One of the main concerns for the group is the state of deterioration of the gantries, and they write in the request, “continued exposure to the elements has negatively impacted the historic structures and demolition is not out of the question given rampant development pressures along the coasts of every borough of New York City.”
