The life of a sailor in the 1800s was hard. From scrubbing the decks, to scraping rust from anchor chains, to managing the sails, to applying seemingly endless quantities of oil, grease, and tar, work aboard a ship was never complete (via National Parks Service). But what of sailors who were too old, too infirm, or too injured to continue working? With no social safety net in place in the 19th century, the reality for these sailors was poverty, subsistence living, or depending upon charity.
In the early 19th century on Staten Island, however, Robert Randall, a shipping magnate, designated in his will that his vast fortune be used to create a home for “aged, decrepit, and worn-out sailors” (via Snug Harbor). From this was born Sailors’ Snug Harbor, a retirement village that at its peak housed nearly 1,000 retired sailors across 50 buildings. The increase in social services in the 20th century meant that Snug Harbor’s services were less needed, and in the 1950s it closed down. Rather than demolish this sliver of history, the City of New York instead repurposed it as a cultural center, preserving the story of this unique institution.
So come along, then, on an Easter weekend drive to Staten Island. Along the way we’ll check out some cool history, step aboard a houseboat parked in a museum, and eat good food. We’ll also close with some quick updates from closer to home.
Let’s begin:
Snug Harbor
Our drive today would take us about an hour northeast from our home, to the northern shore of Staten Island.As we began our trip, we made a quick pit stop at Starbucks. My wife pointed out an odd arrangement of traffic cones, and I went to investigate. A local volunteer firefighter who was emerging from Starbucks told me that a Canada goose nests at the same spot every year, and so the shopping plaza has taken to placing cones to keep it from being disturbed. Far out, man.As our drive took us up the New Jersey Turnpike, and then through the industrial heart of Staten Island, scenic driving photos were few and far between. The best we could do is this shot of the Goethals Bridge, which connects Elizabeth, NJ with Staten Island, NY. The original bridge was built in 1928, but then was replaced with this far more modern structure in 2017.A little over an hour after leaving home, we arrived at Snug Harbor, along the Staten Island waterfront. The first building we passed was the Governor’s House, where the leader (governor) of Snug Harbor resided. Fun fact: one governor of the community was Thomas Melville, brother of American writer (and Moby Dick author) Herman Melville (via Wikipedia).We began at the northern gatehouse. This Greek Revival-style structure, where new residents would first enter the community, is now a city landmark (via Wikipedia).We started our tour at Building D (left). Originally designed as a dorm when it was constructed in 1844, the building now houses the Noble Maritime Collection.John A. Noble was an American artist whose works captured the day-to-day lived experiences of sailors. Since 1992, the Noble Maritime Collection has displayed both his art, as well as the stories of the former residents of Snug Harbor.Snug Harbor was open to sailors of any nationality, ethnicity, or religion. The Writing Room in Building D was a popular spot in the community. The mural on the ceiling was restored in 2023 – it is designed to create the illusion of sitting beneath a glass ceiling.Noble did much of his painting on a houseboat in Newark Bay. The superstructure of the boat is on display, restored to how it looked in 1954, at the height of Noble’s career.Noble lived on this boat for decades. It was moored in Port Johnston, once a bustling coal port, which became a home for rusting and deteriorating wrecks once a fire in the 1920s shut down coal operations. Against this grim backdrop, Noble painted vibrant scenes of life at sea.Image of a Bygone Ferry was my favorite of Noble’s paintings on display.Why didn’t classrooms look like this when I was a kid? The museum’s classroom space includes a ship’s bridge.The museum houses numerous historical objects that tell the story of life on the ocean. This engine order telegraph, built in 1900, would be used to send a signal to the engine room from the bridge.Building D originally held 36 dorm rooms. Each room held two retired sailors, and included such furniture as a chest of drawers and chairs. Bedding and linens were provided by Snug Harbor. In addition, a Brooks Brothers suit was presented to each resident upon arrival.Residents (or “Snugs”) who passed away were buried in the Snug Harbor cemetery. Numbered graves were given, and then the names were recorded on a cemetery map.Numerous model ships were on display throughout the museum. I’ve always been fascinated with the skill required to build a ship in a bottle.The museum has an exhibition on the works of Alice Austen, a photographer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Working at a time when there were few, if any, female professional photographers, Austen created images of life at sea. She would often carry up to 50 pounds of gear on assignments to bring home some amazing images.After leaving the museum, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and stroll through the ground.Many original buildings still stand from Snug Harbor’s heyday, including Veteran’s Memorial Hall. All residents of Snug Harbor were mandated to attend religious services, although no specific dogmas or theologies were enforced by the community’s administrators.Snug Harbor now has numerous gardens throughout the property, but sadly, we had arrived a few weeks before they were scheduled to open for the season.While we couldn’t see the gardens, nature decided to at least give us a glimpse of its beauty.After a long winter of cold, rain, and snow, it was lovely to see life beginning to bloom once again.The Secret Garden looked promising… until we realized it was closed.The renowned Chinese Scholars Garden? Also closed.We definitely will need to come back when the gardens are open and everything is fully in bloom! After a few hours enjoying the park, we got back in the Acura and set off for a late lunch.While I usually do not call attention to chain restaurants, I do want to give a nod to True Food Kitchen, a franchise founded by noted doctor and health advocate Andrew Weil.True Food Kitchen prepares healthy meals, with seasonal menus. My wife dined on a chicken teriyaki quinoa bowl, while I chowed down on the air-fried Korean BBQ chicken sandwich. The service was good, the ingredients were fresh, and our meals were excellent. Fueled up, we set off back home.A half hour later, we pulled back into the garage, the TLX having crossed the 32,000-mile mark. It’s a long way to go to my old Honda Accord’s 228,000 miles, but this car seems to be well on its way. Onward!
Garage Updates
Before closing, I wanted to offer a few updates from a friend’s high mileage restoration, my own vehicle, and then a four-legged companion’s new milestone.
First, my friend Justin’s restoration of his million mile 2003 Honda Accord coupe is well underway. He recently picked it up from the auto body shop after a repainting – the car looks brand new!Meanwhile, Justin is meticulously going through each and every part of the car, replacing anything that looks like it might need attention. If you’ve ever been interested in seeing the difference between a million mile turn signal stalk and a brand new turn signal stalk, then look no further than this photo. I am eager to see the results of Justin’s restoration efforts when I meet up with him later this month!Meanwhile, I am making my own preparations for HDay, the Honda and Acura owners meetup in Maryland later this month. The other day, I spent several hours detailing my Acura TLX inside and out. Not bad, if I do say so myself!Speaking of the TLX, our cat, Betty, recently took her first ride in my car. I took her to the vet for a routine checkup (she is healthy!). Oddly, she seemed not to have enjoyed the drive as much as I thought she would, despite me telling her all about the car’s 3.5-liter VTEC V6 engine, the Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive, and the ELS studio sound system…
Wrapping Up
One of the greatest benefits of writing this blog has been the new places that I discover during our adventures, especially little-known, but fantastic, destinations! Snug Harbor is an excellent place to visit if you’re near New York City. The grounds are free to walk. Several of the museums and gardens do charge a nominal fee. The Noble Maritime Museum is free to visit, although donations are appreciated (and the gift shop is well worth a visit).
Thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
A lot of the research credit goes to my wife, who does hard work on planning these visits – I get the easy tasks: photography and writing!! Thanks for reading!
The Open Road Ahead 
Looks like a great trip! Those gardens look very cool and worth the trip back to explore them in bloom!
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I actually heard from a co-worker today that she and her partner are looking at Snug Harbor for a wedding – cool spot! Thanks for reading!!
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I can see why! It looks like such beautiful place!
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What a beautiful place! I’m envious at how the North East doesn’t seem to demolish beautiful old buildings like they do here. Dallas is so shameful.
Poor kitty! LOL! Mine don’t car for the car either.
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I really appreciate when efforts are made to protect historic buildings and sites – so many cool spots to visit!
Yeah, I think we’ve got to build up Betty’s car tolerance – one mile at a time!
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You are so good at finding these hidden treasures. Thank you!
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A lot of the research credit goes to my wife, who does hard work on planning these visits – I get the easy tasks: photography and writing!! Thanks for reading!
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