William J. Staples and his partner, Monthorne Tompkins, purchased a large parcel of land in 1832 to establish their real estate venture. Four years later, the pair initiated ferry service from the waterfront in Stapleton to Manhattan across New York Bay and began advertising their community to attract investors. As lots were sold and the community developed, businesses soon followed. The large influx of German immigrants to the area brought with them an expertise for brewing beer, with the result that Stapleton soon became the epicenter of a large brewing industry. The wealth the breweries attracted to the area resulted in the construction of large homes, mansions, and estates, many of which still stand today along the crests of the area's hilly terrain.