- City:
- New York City, Staten Island, NY
- Site Type:
- Art Works, Murals
- New Deal Agencies:
- WPA Arts Project (WPAAP), Arts Programs, Public Works Funding, Federal Works Agency (FWA)
- Completed:
- 1940
- Artist:
- Frederick Charles Stahr
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
The grand lobby of Borough Hall contains a series of Depression Era bas-reliefs and 13 large murals painted by Frederick Charles Stahr in 1940 under the auspices of the WPA Arts Project. The murals illustrate important events in Staten Island history. With only slight exaggeration, a local source claims that “the murals are the largest and most accessible WPA collection in New York City” (Staten Island USA) They are, in any case, hugely impressive.
There are thirteen 6.5 x 13-foot oil-on-canvas murals. The individual titles are:
Giovanni da Verrazzano Discovers Staten Island, 1524
Henry Hudson Anchors off Staaten Eylandt in 1609
Cornelius Melyn Trades with the Indians
Huguenot Settlement on Staten Island
The British Fortify Fort Hill, 1776
Conference at Billopp House, Tottenville, 1776
Fight at St. Andrew’s Church, 1776
British Troops Evacuate Staten Island: December 5, 1783
Governor Tompkins Erects Forts Richmond and Tompkins, 1812-1814
Stage Coach to Richmond Stops at Black Horse Tavern
Castleton Hotel Fire at New Brighton
First Railroad: Clifton to Tottenville, 1860
Bayonne Bridge Under Construction, 1928-1931
The Staten Island Museum also contains a sketch book and ‘cartoons’ by Stahr related to the Borough Hall murals.
Source notes
https://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/about/si_boroughhall.shtml
https://www.statenislandusa.com/borough-hall.html
https://www.statenislandhistorian.com/borough-hall-murals.html
https://www.statenislandusa.com/uploads/1/0/9/1/10915079/bhall_murals.pdf
Site originally submitted by Evan Kalish on August 13, 2014.
At this Location:
Contribute to this Site
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.
Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal SiteOne comment on “Borough Hall Murals – Staten Island NY”
Join the Conversation
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Michael Erving
I have just acquired Fredrick Stahr’s diplomas and some sketches, notes about paint color etc. would you be interested in them? They are about the murals in the hall.