New York City III

Last Update: 24/JANUARY/2009

Compiled by Pete Payette - й2009 American Forts Network

д COAST DEFENSES of NEW YORK CITY (EAST RIVER)
Harbor Defense of Eastern New York - FORT WIKI

д Fort Slocum
(1862 - 1928/1965), Davids Island
Located offshore from New Rochelle. Originally built as a military hospital complex (De Camp General Hospital). Nearby Hart Island (Bronx) was also used as a POW camp and hospital. Camp Carrigan was briefly here on Davids Island in late 1861. Known as Davids Island Military Reservation from 1866 to 1896. First fortified in 1878. Batteries here were Battery Haskin (1897 - 1919), Battery Overton (1897 - 1919) partially destroyed, Battery Practice (1896 - 1899) (two M1888 8-inch BL guns on modified 15-inch Rodman carriages) partially buried, Battery Kinney (1904 - 1917) destroyed, and Battery Fraser (1901 - 1917) destroyed. Became Slocum Air Force Station from 1946 - 1950, and a NIKE missile base (NY-15) from 1955 - 1965 (missile launchers were on Hart Island). Also here were the Armed Forces Information School, an Army Chaplain School, and a training and recruitment center (1919 - 1946). The island was bought in 1968 for a nuclear power plant, but it was never built. The island now sits abandoned and overgrown as city property, but future plans call for redevelopment. A 15-inch Rodman cannon still lies by the wharf. Hart Island is now a Bronx city cemetery and private development.
Between 2004 - 2008 all remaining above-ground structures were demolished with the exception of Batteries Haskin, Overton, and Practice, and the Civil War Rodman display. No public access allowed. See also Fort Slocum Alumni and Friends by Michael Cavanaugh

д Fort Schuyler (5)
(SUNY Maritime College)
(1833 - 1935), Bronx
Located on the grounds of SUNY Maritime College at Throg's Neck (1937). It is now also home to the Maritime Industry Museum. The fort was first armed in 1845, but was not garrisoned until 1856. Construction continued during the 1860's into the 1870's. A small Redoubt was located northwest of the fort. Modifications to the barbette gun tier and outer crownwork were done in 1866 - 1876. A mine casemate was built in 1875 in the southwest corner of the fort, reused for the Endicott period. It still exists. The Ten-Gun Battery was built to the northwest in 1873 - 1876, but was not fully completed. It was later destroyed along with all the other exterior batteries in the 1950's. Endicott batteries here were Battery Gansevoort (1899 - 1935) partially destroyed and buried, Battery Hazzard (1898 - 1930) destroyed, Battery Bell (1900 - 1917) destroyed, and Battery Beecher (1900 - 1920) destroyed. The BC station for Battery Hazzard was built on the parados of the Ten-Gun Battery. During the 1930's the old fort was renovated for the college, removing the outer crownwork and barbette tier batteries.

д Fort Totten
(Fort Totten Park Historic Marker)
(1862 - 1948/1994), Queens
Located across the East River from Fort Schuyler, guarding New York City's "backdoor". It was originally known as Fort at Willet's Point until 1898. The one-story wood-frame Officers' Club was built in 1870, enlarged in 1887. The uncompleted Third System casemates (aka Water Battery) still exist near the water line. A mine casemate was built in 1876. It still exists, but is inaccessible. It was replaced in the 1890's with a new mine casemate on the western-side of the post, which also still exists. Portions of the 1871-76 27-Gun Battery line also still exist among the later-built Batteries Stuart and Burnes. The 16-gun Mortar Battery was built in 1872 - 1876, later modified and renamed Battery King. Four 13-inch seacoast mortars had been mounted in 1876. Endicott batteries here are Battery King (1900 - 1935) destroyed/buried, Battery Mahan (1900 - 1918), Battery Graham (1897 - 1918), Battery Sumner (1899 - 1918), Battery Stuart (1899 - 1917), Battery Baker (1900 - 1940's), and Battery Burnes (1904 - 1946). A 270-foot long tunnel was built in 1871 from the bluff batteries to the water battery, still exists. An underground Grand Magazine was built behind the water battery in 1871, also still exists. The Army's School of Submarine Mine Defense was originally located here until 1907. During WWII the post was the Anti-Aircraft Defense headquarters of the Eastern Defense Command. From 1954 to 1974, this was the HQ 1st Region ARADCOM for the NIKE missile defense of New York and New England. Until the post closed, from 1968 it was the largest Army Reserve Command in the U.S. The Army Reserve Command remains, although greatly reduced in size. The Coast Guard has relocated to Kings Point. The New York City Fire Department controls one third of the property as a training center and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation manages the final third of the property as a public waterfront park. The 1870 Officers' Club is now the home of the Bayside Historical Society.

Kingsbridge Armory
(1912 - present ?), Bronx
Located at 29 West Kingsbridge Road. Originally known as the Eighth Coastal Artillery Armory, later the Eighth Regiment Armory. At the time it was built it boasted the world's largest Drill Hall at 300-by-600 feet. Designated a New York City Historic Landmark.

Seventh Regiment Armory
(1877 - present), Manhattan
Located at 643 Park Ave., near East 66th Street. The prototype "medievel fortress" style national guard armory that was copied around the country in the late 19th-century and early 20th-century. Still in use today. Designated a New York City Historic Landmark.

дд COAST and HARBOR DEFENSES of NEW YORK CITY (NEW YORK HARBOR) (see also Sandy Hook, NJ)
Harbor Defense of Southern New York - FORT WIKI

дд Fort Tilden
(Gateway National Recreation Area)
(1917 - 1948/1974), Queens
Located in Roxbury on Rockaway Peninsula. Originally named Camp Rockaway Beach in 1917. Batteries here are Battery Harris (1924 - 1948), Battery West (1917 - 1947) (renamed Kessler in 1939, rebuilt in 1941), Battery 220 (1942 - 1946) partially buried, Battery East (1917 - 1942) (renamed Fergusson in 1939) buried. Located offpost nearby on Rockaway Point was AMTB Battery 20 (1942 - 1946), and AMTB Battery 21 (1943 - 1946). Located at the former Rockaway NAS (1917 - 1930) (now Jacob Riis Park) was an unnamed mortar battery (1917 - 1919). Battery 117 was to be built on a point of land at nearby JFK Airport, but it was considered to be too close to the airport. That site is now under a taxiway. From 1955 - 1974 this was a NIKE missile base (NY-49). Additional WWII fire-control towers were once located eastward at Seaside, Arverne, Atlantic Beach, Long Beach, Short Beach, and Zach's Bay.

дд Norton Point Military Reservation
(1942 - 1946), Coney Island
Located here were New Battery Catlin (AMTB 18) (1942 - 1946) buried, and AMTB Battery 19 (1943 - 1946) buried. Other structures and towers that were here no longer exist.

дд Fort Hamilton (2) (U.S. Army Reservation)
(Harbor Defense Museum)
(1826 - 1948/present), Brooklyn *PHOTOS*
Fort Hamilton was used as a POW camp during the Civil War. An exterior battery (New Battery) was built in 1863, rebuilt in 1874 - 1876. The eight-gun Water Battery (aka Battery No. 1) was built in 1871 - 1874. A 15-gun Mortar Battery was built behind the New Battery in 1872 - 1876, but was never finished or armed. The New Battery was replaced by Batteries Gillmore and Spear. Battery Griffin was later built on the Water Battery. Endicott batteries here were Battery Piper (1901 - 1942), Battery Brown (1902 - ?), Battery Doubleday (1900 - 1943), Battery Neary (1900 - 1937), the combined Battery Gillmore (1899 - 1942) and Battery Spear (1898 - 1917), Battery Burke (1903 - 1917), Battery Livingston (1905 - 1948), Battery Johnston (1902 - 1943), Battery Mendenhall (1905 - 1917), Battery Griffin (1899 - 1946), and a WWII AA battery. All coastal batteries and fire-control towers were destroyed or buried from 1954 - 1963 to make way for the Verrazano Narrows Bridge (I-278) and the Belt Parkway. The original fort was altered in 1937 as the present Officers' Club, Whiting Quadrangle. A 20-inch Rodman is located outside of the north gate, and a 12-inch naval gun is inside the gate.

A Patriot work known as The Narrows Fort was originally here on Denyse Point. The British captured and destroyed the fort in 1776, but rebuilt it and held it throughout the war. American Fort Lewis (2) was built here in 1814.

дд Fort Wadsworth
(Gateway National Recreation Area)
(1807 - 1946/1994), Staten Island *PHOTOS*
This site, known as Signal Hill, was fortified as early as 1636 by the Dutch, who built the 20-square foot Signal Hill Blockhouse here after several settlements were destroyed by Indians. The British took it over in 1664. A Patriot garrison, Flagstaff Fort, was here in 1776 before being overrun by the British.

Historic portions of the current reservation contain Fort Tompkins (1) (1807, rebuilt 1847), and Fort Richmond (2) (1847), which was originally the Water Battery (1807) for Fort Tompkins. Both were still under construction until 1861. Fort Richmond was renamed Fort Wadsworth in 1865, and renamed again in 1902 to Battery Weed, after the entire reservation became known as Fort Wadsworth. The south portion of the reservation was briefly named Fort Newton. Two of the oldest batteries were (Fort) Battery Hudson and (Fort) Battery Morton, both from 1811. Smith's Cantonment (2) (1860's) was located within the reservation during the Civil War. Shortly before and during the Civil War were built North Cliff Battery and South Cliff Battery flanking Fort Richmond, both rebuilt 1872 - 1876. Adjacent to Fort Tompkins were built Glacis Gun Battery (five guns) (rebuilt 1873, still exists) and Two Gun Battery (1866, rebuilt 1873). The Glacis Mortar Battery (ten guns) was built west of Fort Tompkins from 1871 to 1873, but was never armed. A mine casemate was built in the northwest bastion of Fort Richmond in 1875, later reused for the Endicott period. It still exists. Battery Hudson was extensively rebuilt and extended from 1872 - 1876 for 22 guns, including a position for a King's Depressing Carriage gun. The old Battery Hudson was mostly replaced later with New Battery Hudson and Battery Mills, but many gun platforms and magazines still exist. In 1898 two emplacements were armed with M1888 8-inch BL guns on modified 15-inch Rodman carriages. Battery Catlin was built over most of North Cliff Battery, and Batteries Barbour, Turnbull, and Bacon were built on South Cliff Battery. Many magazines and old gun platforms still exist however. The Glacis Mortar Battery and Two Gun Battery were destroyed in the early 1960's for the Verrazano Narrows Bridge (I-278) approach. See also Fort Wadsworth info from Borough of Staten Island
The old 1828 Fort Tompkins Lighthouse was removed in 1873 and a new lighthouse built in its stead. It too was torn down in 1902 to be replaced by the Fort Wadsworth Lighthouse, located atop Battery Weed. It has recently been restored.

Endicott batteries include: Battery Ayres (ex Miramar Battery) (1901 - 1942) partially buried, Battery Dix (1902 - 1944), New Battery Hudson (1899 - 1944) partially buried, Battery Richmond (1899 - 1942) partially buried, Battery Barry (ex Clifton) (1899 - 1918), Battery Upton (ex Ravenna Battery) (1899 - 1925), Battery Duane (1897 - 1915) mostly destroyed, Battery Barbour (1898 - 1920) partially buried, Battery Mills (1900 - 1943) partially buried, Battery Catlin (1904 - 1942), Battery Bacon (1899 - 1918), and Battery Turnbull (1903 - 1944) mostly buried. Later batteries include Battery 218 (1943), and New Battery Turnbull (AMTB 14) (1942 - 1946) covered. Battery 115 was never built. The post became headquarters of all NYC area NIKE missile defenses (NY-HQ) from 1955 - 1974. The short-lived New York Naval Station was here from 1990 to 1994.

To the south near New Dorp, at Miller Army Air Field (1917 - 1973), was AMTB Battery 11 (1943 - 1946) and a fire-control tower. On Swinburne Island was AMTB Battery 12 (1943 - 1946). A fire-control tower was also on Hoffman Island, which was also used as the Coast Guard's Maritime Service Training Station in 1938. Both Swinburne and Hoffman Islands are now part of Gateway NRA, as is Miller Field.

дд Princess Bay Battery (2)
(1898), Staten Island
An unnamed temporary battery at Seguine Point.

дд Ward Point Battery
(1898), Staten Island
A temporary battery site now located in the surf.

Cold War AAA Defenses of New York City
(1951 - 1959), New York City area
Several permanent sites were established for the Army's Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Gun Site Program, the precursor to the NIKE missile defense program. Four 90mm AA guns and/or four 120mm AA guns were positioned at each site, with troop barracks and other support buildings. Known sites include:
Fort Slocum (1952 - 1954) 120mm guns, (1955 - 1957) 90mm guns: on post.
Bronx (1956 - 1957) 90mm guns: at Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Ave..
Fort Totten (1952 - 1956) 90mm guns: on post.
Brooklyn (1951 - 1952 ?) 120mm guns: undetermined.
Fort Hamilton (1952 - 1954) 120mm guns, (1954 - 1957) 90mm guns: on post.
Fort Wadsworth (1952 - 1955 ?) 120mm guns, (1952) 90mm guns: on post.
Miller Field (1952) 90mm guns: on post.
Fort Tilden (1952 - 1954) 120mm guns (eight), (1951 - 1956) 90mm guns: on post.
New York (1952 - 1956) 90mm guns: undetermined.
New York (1952 - 1956) 90mm guns: undetermined.
New York (1956 - 1957) 90mm guns: undetermined.
New York (1952 ? - 1955 ?) 120mm guns, (1956 - 1957) 90mm guns: undetermined.
New York (1953 - 1956) 90mm guns: undetermined.

NIKE missile defense sites are at this time beyond the scope of this website.
Please see NEW YORK CITY NIKE MISSILE SITES by Donald Bender.

(See also the NEW JERSEY page)

Special thanks to Col. Michael Stenzel, NY NG, for information from the New York's Forts website.

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Updates @ NorthAmericanForts.com