Erie Basin (Brooklyn)

Erie Basin is a man-made harbor and shipping facility in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Colonel Daniel Richards, a successful local merchant, originally envisioned developing the area in 1830s.

The outer breakwater was built with ballast unloaded by otherwise empty ships arriving from Europe.

[1][2] A 1920 report gives a picture of what kind of businesses were located at the Basin, called "The Busiest Place in the Port of New York":[1][2] As the 20th century proceeded, the need to store goods in dockside warehouses diminished as trucks and trains made overland delivery more readily available.

[1][2] Despite the decline in business, the Basin still serves its old functions: grain elevators, warehouses, storage, dry docks and ship repair facilities all still exist and operate in various capacities.