Pralls Island

Pralls River and Arthur Kill

Staten Island,

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

The origin of the name Prall’s Island, located in the Arthur Kill, is uncertain. It was named either for Arent Jansen Van Naerden Prall (1698-?), who purchased the island after arriving from Amsterdam in the mid-1700s, or for Abraham Prall (1706-1775), a prominent Staten Island farmer. It was originally known as Dongan’s Island, after New York Governor Thomas Dongan (1634-1715), who took the office in 1688. The name was later corrupted to Duncan’s Island. Prall’s Island did not take hold until the late 19th century.