12. Dry Dock #1 at Brooklyn Navy Yard
The entirety of the Brooklyn Navy Yard is a National Landmark, but Dry Dock #1 within it is an individual New York City landmark. It was designated in 1975 for being “one of the great feats of American engineering in the first half of the 19th century.” Built between 1840 and 1851, the dry dock is a below-water-level chamber that can be drained to allow boats to be repaired.
Dry Dock #1 was the first permanent dry dock in the New York City area. Though New York City’s shoreline along the East River was once bustling with maritime activity, there are only 3 active dry docks in operation now at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The docks are a popular setting for film shoots, appearing on television shows like Gotham and Jessica Jones. Another unique maritime landmark in New York City is Pier A at The Battery. The designation report from 1977 that it is the last piece of a maritime complex that once included a firehouse, wharf, and other structures and that it is the oldest type of its structure still standing in Manhattan.