Fort Decker Museum at 127 Main Street.
UDSB Southern Gateway
Port Jervis was founded in 1826, became a village in 1853 and became a city in 1907.
A River City
Port Jervis, New York was first incorporated as a village in 1853 and after
being partitioned from the Town of Deerpark, became a city in 1907. This small
city located at the junction of three states, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
and at the meeting place of the Neversink and Delaware rivers. It is beautifully
situated to the east of the Appalachian plateau and at the foot of the Shawangunk
Mountains. It has long been a transportation nexus, serving as a stop along
the Delaware River for Native Americans and later timber log raftsmen. The village
was an important stop on the Delaware and Hudson Canal (D&H)
from 1828-1898 and was named for John B. Jervis, the canal´s chief engineer.
Painter
John N. Howitt,
a resident of Port Jervis, was more notably recognize for his moonlighting career as a plup fiction cover
illustrator than his more cherished nature paintings.
The Erie Railroad arrived in 1847 and successor companies continued to maintain a major presence here
until the 1960s. From 1875-1930 it was a major industrial and economic center and home to a number of
important figures including author Stephen Crane and painter John N. Howitt. It continues to serve as
the region´s economic hub and is now benefiting from the tourism opportunities tha abound nearby.
Port Jervis still holds a variety of architectual styles in its midst. There were numerous examples of what have become collectively called Victorian styles and include Gothic Revival, Italianate, Stick, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Shingle, Folk Victorian and Colonial Revival styles. Since Port Jervis was only a short train trip away from Manahttan, many of its larger homes were designed by architects from New York City. The Classical Revival, Craftsman and Tudor styles were popular during the early years of this century.
The city is the southern starting point for the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway.
