Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) Terminal
Emigrant (Immigrant) Waiting Room
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, November 7, 2011
1. Emigrant (Immigrant) Waiting Room Marker
After passing the Statue of Liberty and being processed at Ellis Island, where did the new Americans go?
Once declared “clearly and beyond a doubt, entitled to land” almost two-thirds of the immigrants processed at Ellis Island bought train tickets from the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) ticket office on the island. They then boarded ferries which brought them here to the CRRNJ Terminal in Jersey City.
Upon arrival at the CRRNJ Terminal, the immigrants awaited their trains in the Emigrant Waiting Room.
The area in front of you, once enclosed within a ferry house, was the “Emigrant Waiting Room.” Here, in this small confined space, new immigrants were kept apart from the splendor of the main waiting room.
Remnant pipes, a slate urinal and tiles of the restroom floor are still visible today.
When it came time for their trains to depart, the new immigrants, many with their train tickets pinned to their clothing, were led to Track 1 through the North Baggage Tunnel (the arched opening behind you). Special immigrant trains, described as “somewhat resembling cattle cars,” took these new
this page online
Erected by New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 40° 42.441′ N, 74° 2.071′ W. Marker is in Jersey City, New Jersey, in Hudson County. It can be reached from Audrey Zapp Drive, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located in Liberty State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Audrey Zapp Dr, Jersey City NJ 07305, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New Jersey’s North Jersey, in Greater Newark, and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, November 7, 2011
2. Markers in Liberty State Park
Two markers are found at this location. The Emigrant (Immigrant) Waiting Room marker is seen here on the right.
More about this marker. A diagram of the Covered Ferry House, Waiting Room for Emigrants, and a Restaurant for train and dock hands appears at the bottom of the marker. It has a caption of “This drawing is adapted from the 1888 CRRNJ Terminal plans by architects Peabody and Sterns. All these facilities, including the Emigrant Waiting Room, were once contained within a ferry house. In historic documents, this room is referred to as both Emigrant Waiting Room and Immigrant Waiting Room.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, November 7, 2011
3. The Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal
The marker can be seen on the left side of the photo.
A photograph of newly arrived immigrants appears on the left of the marker, with a caption of “Immigrants ride a ferry to the railroad terminals in New Jersey. (Photograph courtesy of the National Park Service.)”
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, November 7, 2011
4. The Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal
This is the first view of the CRRNJ Terminal that the arriving immigrants received after leaving Ellis Island.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 9, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,511 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 9, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
