Greenville Yard, Upper New York Bay, Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ

Significance: The Greenville Yard is a unique combination of a large classification rail yard with support facilities, and marine operations. Designed and built at the beginning of the twentieth century, it was planned to facilitate the flow of freight through and around the greater New York harbor in the era before the motor truck became significant. The strategic location, large storage and sorting capacity (7,000 cars), flexibility of design, hard work and adaptable use of available equipment by the crews employed at the Greenville Yard made it a major component in freight movement in the harbor from 1905-1906, when it became operational, until the late 1970's. The yard remained in operation long after most other rail lighterage and marine transfer facilities had closed, and two of the original transfer bridges are still in operation at this time. Elements which make this yard unusual, besides overall size and design, are the six carfloat transfer bridges (not included in this study), and four snap-boom gantry cranes on the open pier. These date from the beginnings of the yard (1905-1916) and were significant innovations in the technology of their day. Also of note are the covered pier (built circa 1916), the coal hopper (built in 1939-1941), the marginal crane (moved to the Greenville Yard in 1941-1942), and yard operations.
Survey number: HAER NJ-49
Building/structure dates: 19q1 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 19h1
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: NR