Ellis Island public and the museum partially re-opened on October 28, 2013, after major renovations. Originally much of the west shore of Upper New York Bay consisted of large tidal flats which hosted vast oyster banks, a major source of food for the Lenape population who lived in the area prior to the arrival of Dutch settlers. There were several islands which were not completely submerged at high tide. Three of them (later to be known as Liberty Island, Black Tom Island and Ellis Island) were given the name Oyster Islands by the settlers of New Netherland, the first European colony in
Rudolph Oyster House Rudolph Oyster House Located on the grounds of the Long Island Maritime Museum, The "Rudolph Oyster House" was built circa 1890. It is typical of the many oyster culling houses which once lined the local waterfront, providing work for hundreds of predominantly Dutch immigrant local residents. Until 1938, the local oyster industry was the center of a booming economy. Unfortunately, a major hurricane on September 21 of that year wiped out the south shore oyster beds. Today the "Rudolph Oyster House" is one of the few remnants of that heritage. Thousands of immigrants came to villages like West Sayville in