Known colloquially as bare-ass or black dirt, this Hudson River bathing beach was packed every summer for generations. One of the first unofficial gathering spots for BBQ’s camping and all things summer, the abandoned brick yards of the DeNoyelles’ family became the most popular swimming spot in Haverstraw.
In the early 40’s, the brickyard on West Street now Riverside Ave became vacant at the same time the New York Trap Rock Corp began to ramp up production at their Haverstraw quarry. All stone was mined on the inland side of long clove and passed thru the mountain at short clove on a conveyor and loaded onto barges for transport on the river.
On the river side, just north of the conveyor and across the street from the office was the road to black dirt. The property was mined out and very swampy but the riverfront was perfect. This is another example of the residents of Haverstraw just squatting on old brickyard land and making it their own.
Over the years, Trap Rock began acquiring riverside parcels and back-filling the cofferdam with tailings from the quarry. These tailings have a dark grey color and this is where the black dirt came from. For decades the swamps were filled and more “beach” was created, thanks to the quarry. Never a safe place to play, kids were warned to ‘stay away’ from the quicksand or you would get stuck and they would call your mother. Mrs. McErleane could attest to that, when in the summer of 1960 Dennis got stuck, the tide started rising and they had to call the fire department to get him out.
Later on by the mid 60’s, private property issues plagued the riverfront beaches and access was denied from the southern end at the quarry. Not to stop some, the smart kids just jumped the fence at DePasqual and spent the day dreaming about Bowline Pool.
The northern cofferdam was for many years the home of the Haverstraw Yacht Club. This club was formed in the 1930’s and was a part of Hooligans Navy during WW2. Holding yearly regattas, their clubhouse and docks were first class.
