Image of the launch of the USS Monitor, published in Harper’s Weekly, 1862

Shipbuilding was one of the largest industries along New York’s waterfront throughout the 19th century. Established in 1859, the Continental Iron Works built the first Ironclad battleship, the USS Monitor, famous for fighting in the Battle of Hampton Roads. Assembled at this site and launched nearby, the remains of the ship are on display at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA. The Continental Iron Works received several contracts to build more ironclad battleships. After the decline of the shipbuilding industry, the Continental Iron Works specialized in other metalwork for marine and military uses.

The 2005 rezoning called for a continuous waterfront esplanade and several parks; the Greenpoint Monitor Museum site is in the path of the planned open space. Advocates for the museum were awarded a parcel of land for the museum, yet the land is in the footprint of the planned park.