Some of the oldest houses of Staten Island will be seen on this ride. We will visit the old towns of Rossville and Kreischerville. The mansion of Charles Kreischer, one of the three built there, still stands. (One day it's said that it will become a bed and breakfast) Three mansions were built by Balthasar Kreischer. One for himself and one each for his sons Charles and Edward. Balthasar was the founder of the New York Fire-Brick and Staten Island Clay Retort works. After the terrible Manhattan fires of 1835 and 1845, the fire codes were changed so that structures of brick were valued. Balthasar immigrated from Germany in 1836 and opened a brick factory on the Lower East Side. And started making big money.  In 1854 he moved to Staten Island to take advantage of the clay deposits in the area now pockmarked by the mining operations, currently named Clay Pit Ponds Park. One of his family employee's Nicholas Killmeyer found the clay deposits and was rewarded with a grocery store, then a building which was turned into an Inn and then a bar/restaurant that still stands. And that's where we will eat lunch, Killmeyer's Old Bavaria Inn. Where we can order from goulash to sauerbraten. https://killmeyers.com/lunch/  We will visit landmarked and unlandmarked structures of Kreischerville. The town founded for the fellow German immigrant workers of the Brick works. Join me for some history. We will ride at a moderate pace. The distance is scheduled to be 36.2 miles. The elevation is 1139 feet with a gradient up to 3.8%. Meet me on the steps of the Staten Island Borough Hall at 9:00 am. Please take the 8:30 am ferry from Manhattan. Wentworth Price has agreed to co-lead this ride and meet everyone at 8:30 am at the Ferry in Manhattan.

The ride is listed here     https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43452960

Mileage = 36