Piermont Marsh - Hudson River Reserve, NY

Cultural History

Native Americans inhabited the Hudson River Estuary corridor more than 5,000 years ago, but no prehistoric sites have been excavated at the component to date. The first mile of Sparkhill was navigable to the flat bottomed sloops of the 18th century. During this period, the creek was used as the principal entry port on the west side of the lower Hudson Valley. The port was the major access route to the fur and timber country lying to the west and a convenient shipping point for the agricultural industries (crops and milling) of the local area.

By the early 19th century development of larger sloops with deeper drafts made use of Sparkill Creek impractical. To solve this problem the mile-long pier was constructed in 1839 at the terminus of the Erie railroad. The pier still stands today and is used by local residents for access to the Hudson River. The pier has likely had a significant impact on development of the marsh by accelerating deposition of sediments.