Historic Districts Council
THE POINT Community Development Corporation is dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. Celebrating over 20 years of service, THE POINT offers a multi-faceted approach to asset-based community development. Its programming falls within three main headings all aimed at the comprehensive revitalization of the Hunts Point community: Youth Development, Arts and Culture and Community Development.
Hunts Point
Before European colonization, the Hunts Point area of the Bronx was associated with the Siwanoy Native Americans, which were part of the broader Algonquian cultural and linguistic group. It was then known as Quinnahung, meaning “a long high place”, later taking its current name from 17th-century landowner Thomas Hunt Jr.
During the late-17th to early-19th centuries the area was known as West Farms, and was composed of rural estates owned by a few English families who relied on enslaved labor force to cultivate the land. Vestiges of this early inhabitants can still be found in the Joseph Rodman Drake Park (Site 14), with recent studies pointing towards the existence of an enslaved African people burial ground.
The arrival of the New York and Harlem railroad line, which crossed the Harlem River, brought a rise in population to The Bronx during the mid-19th century. Hunts Point, however, remained picturesque and undeveloped, attracting prominent, wealthy businessmen who purchased farmland and established grand country manors. Though most of the houses from this period have been demolished, the Peter S. Hoe House, known as Sunnyslope (Site 12), is an unusual survivor of the neighborhood’s rural past. The construction of the Corpus Christi Monastery (Site 17) at the end of the 19th century was also motivated by this bucolic environment.
After the area’s annexation to New York City in 1874, a series of infrastructure improvements were implemented to increase transportation communication with Manhattan. The opening of IRT stations in Simpson Street (Site 2), Prospect Avenue and Intervale Avenue, provided more immediate access to Hunts Point, boosting the neighborhood’s development. City services were also expanded, with new buildings for the NYPD (Site 3) and the NYFD (Site 11), as well as the Joseph R. Drake Public School (Site 13).
Industrial development was also fueled by the continuous improvements of transit to and from the area during the 20th century. Large companies like the American Bank Note (Site 18) established their operations in the area, also boosting residential development. One of the earliest examples of private homes for middle-class families are located in Manida Street (Site 19).
Urban growth continued throughout the first half of the 20th century, with population increases marked by immigration waves. This had a strong effect on the neighborhood’s character, most notably during the 1950’s and 60s, when it became a hub for Latin American culture. Some of the most influential venues in Latin music were established in former theatres located alongside Southern Boulevard (Sites 6, 7 and 8), attracting crowds from all boroughs.
Community organizing has also being a constant element in Hunts Point, especially after the social and economic crisis of the 1970s and 80s. Organizations like Urban Health (Site 4) and The Point (Site 20) have had a strong impact in the neighborhood’s development, and continue to work towards its protection and improvement.