The first crossing of the Raritan at this point was wooden bridge on masonry substructure, constructed in 1838 by the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company. It was a 1,577 feet (481 m) long double-deck Howe truss bridge with a highway on the lower deck. The 146 feet (45 m)-foot long draw span was renewed in 1872.[1]

The site of the terminal has been used since colonial times to link Manhattan Island and points west.

Ilsenburg is a town in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany.