The Red Hook Grain Terminal
Unofficial Playground of the Neighborhood
Imagine building a structure that has not fully lived up to its purpose. Built by New York State in 1922 to store grain being transferred by waterway, it never flourished due to changing shipping patterns during its construction—shipping just got cheaper.
Photo: December 2002
Fast forward to the late 20th Century, the same building sat abandoned in a state of crumbling disrepair. Ownership transferred to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey in 1944, the site and grounds were rarely (if ever) secured by personnel. So, what is a logical step? Inquisitive minds like to explore! Kids and grown folks from the neighborhood, myself included. I always feared this behemoth of a thing through the age of twelve or so. As I look back, I continue to wonder how city planners could think to build multiple baseball and soccer fields next to what is essentially a dump?! The building was built so well, it could have been used as a bomb shelter.
Photo: April 1987
Consider that there are fifty-four silos in the structure, each one the height of a twelve-story building (120ft./35.6m). Many places to hide, also many places in which to be—and get lost with no one knowing where you are.
Photo: April 1986
Playing basketball inside the Grain Terminal. I don’t recall what was being used as a basketball net for scoring points.
Photo: November 1986
The view from the top floor looking North over Red Hook Projects, and into Lower Manhattan.
Again, being in close proximity to the Red Hook ball fields, on weekends you could see the children playing amongst the junk on the site, while their parents are visiting/playing in the ball fields nearby.
Photo: April 1986
Photo: April 1986
Photo: April 1987
On what I believe to be my last trip on the site grounds, I brought a large-format 4x5 in. camera to photograph with. The ability to photograph—in finer details the experience of being there was ever so important. This included the tripod, film holder, and carrying bag. Unimpeded and without being hauled off of the site, or sited with trespassing by anyone.
Photo: May 2003
As time can attest, I’ve had some kind of affinity for the building through the years. A self-portrait with it as a background anchor point. Can it be my North Star? Or, just that it triggers specific memories about growing up that allows me to cherish that time—a placeholder for those memories?
Thank you for reading! I appreciate the time you took to do so. I hope you’ll subscribe and receive the newsletter in your email inbox.
Til next time…
Kenneth
This is so cute I remember being a kid in the 90s climbing to the very top of the roof laying down looking off and then scaling the conveyer belt area on the side of the building facing towards sunset park . Man that shit was so dangerous but so fun I guess you wasn’t a kid from red hook if you didn’t do the GREY HOUSE …….
Thanks for writing a story on it growing up on the 80s I visited when I was bout 8 with my big brother who took me there it was spokey and site to see. We called it the grey house and told ghost stories. I hope they will never tear down. I hope it just becomes a landmark that can’t be destroyed. It is definitely. RED HOOK HISTORY in my childhood! 🥺