Prall's Island, Staten Island : NYC Tourist Guide

Prall's Island

Prall's Islands is an uninhabited island in the Arthur Kill between Staten Island, New York, and Linden, New Jersey, in the United States. It is one of the minor islands that are part of the borough of Staten Island in New York City. The island has an area of 88 acres (0.36 km˛).

The island is named for descendants of early Staten Island settler Arent Jansen Van Naerden Prall (1698-?), [in Dutch, Praal] who purchased the island after arriving from Amsterdam in the mid-1700s or Abraham Prall (1706-1775) a local farmer . It was originally known as Dongan's Island, after New York Governor Thomas Dongan (1634-1715), who took the office in 1688. The name was later corrupted to Duncan's Island. Prall's Island did not take hold until the late 19th century. The island is now owned by the City of New York and is maintained by New York City Department of Parks and Recreation as a bird sanctuary.