Grant City, Staten Island

History

Originally known as Frenchtown, the community was renamed in honor of Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant soon after the conflict began, despite the fact that the war itself was so unpopular on Staten Island that the island was the scene of anti-draft riots in July 1863. The area is also referred to as just "Grant" [sic] in the official New York State Gazetteer, maintained and published by the New York State Department of Health, which includes numerous defunct hamlets and towns, some with alternate or archaic spellings.

Many of the streets are named after historical figures such as Lincoln Avenue (after President Abraham Lincoln), Fremont Avenue (after General John C. Fremont who was the first Republican candidate for president, as well as a Staten Island resident, in 1856), Adams Avenue (after President John Adams), Colfax Avenue (after Vice President Schuyler Colfax) and Greeley Avenue (after newspaper editor Horace Greeley). Many other streets were originally named after historical figures but those streets have been renamed.

Many small, one-family homes were built in Grant City in the 1950s, with a stronger growth spurt occurring after the opening of the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge in November 1964 made access to the island from Brooklyn much easier. There was a heavy population of Irish Americans, especially in the 1990s. Grant City and the neighborhoods surrounding it are also very conservative politically, with Republican Party candidates for most elected offices.

Notable events

In August 1990 an F0 tornado made its way north along Fremont Ave. in Grant City, toppling 100-plus year old trees and causing widespread damage.

Transportation

Grant City is served by the along Midland Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, the S74, S76, S84, S86 and SIM15 along Richmond Road, and the along Hylan Blvd. It is also served by express buses along Hylan Boulevard.

The Grant City station on the Staten Island Railway serves the community. The station immediately to the north is located at Jefferson Avenue, near the boundary between Grant City and neighboring Dongan Hills.

References

References

1. "New York State Gazetteer / State of New York". New York State Department of Health.
2. (1990-08-12). "Cleanup Follows Path of Tornado on Staten Island". New York Times.
3. {{cite NYC bus map. S
4. {{NYCS const. map