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Don't Call Manhattan Schist: Or the Famous Rocks of New York

While New York City is certainly best known for its towering skyscrapers and classy historic districts, its earliest monuments of stone are just that: stone. The geologic landscape of the city was formed between 20,000 and 18,000 years ago with the movement of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet down from Canada. The rock and debris deposited from the ice sheet, as well as the valleys it deepened, bedrock it smoothed and glacial grooves it left, formed the landscape of the city that began to grow in the colonial era. In some cases the rocks have been moved or crumbled in the name of urban development. But some of this geologic history can still be seen within the urban environment. This collection highlights some of the more well-known geologic features.

ByUrban Archive logoUrban Archive
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Sugar Loaf Rock
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Sugar Loaf Rock

Nicknamed Sugar Loaf Rock, this large boulder is part of a memorial to Staten Island's deceased servicemen.
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Split Rock
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Split Rock

A giant boulder that seems to be split in half, this geologic landmark once sat near to a Native American path, but it now sits now obscured just south of the interchange of I-95 and the Hutchinson River Parkway.
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Belvedere Castle
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Belvedere Castle

At one of the most iconic spots in Central Park, Vista Rock stands 130 feet high!
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Glover's Rock
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Glover's Rock

Situated at the site of key action in the Revolutionary War, this boulder was named for the heroic leader and bares a plaque memorializing the rest of the soldiers.
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Block House No. 1
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Block House No. 1

This is the oldest original structure in Central Park! (Cleopatra's Needle doesn't count as it was created elsewhere and moved).
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Block House No. 4
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Block House No. 4

One of a series of stone defense fortifications constructed around the War of 1812, Block House #4 survived into the 1960s.
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Pudding Rock
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Pudding Rock

This massive rock (blown to pieces in the early 20th century) was named for a Christmas treat and was a well-used stopping place for Bronx travelers, from Native Americans to French Huguenots headed to church in Manhattan.
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Rocking Stone
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Rocking Stone

When a geological feature becomes a popular attraction! Alas this boulder no longer rocks—bummer 20th century safety concerns.
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Richman (Echo) Park
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Richman (Echo) Park

This park was called Echo Park for more than a hundred years due to the reverberations that echo from its two large rock masses.
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Gun Hill Houses
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Gun Hill Houses

This rock outcropping still occupies space on Magenta Avenue, but today the Gun Hill Houses sit on top.
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Boulder Bridge
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Boulder Bridge

A bridge made only of rocks found nearby!
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1693 Third Avenue
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1693 Third Avenue

Upper Manhattan was once much rockier than it is today.
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