New York Assorted Album

This page has some photographs and a little bit of information on the forts I went to on a Trip to NYC. Unfortunately, most of the forts I went to, were closed or I was on a tight schedule. I was able to visit Fort Totten, Fort Wadsworth and Fort Wood (Statue of Liberty).

FORT TOTTEN

Fort Totten first opened in 1862 as a third system fort. The installation was not completed because it became obsolete so all that remains is the incomplete Water Battery. During the 1870s the fort was upgraded with a few gun batteries and a tunnel connecting the main garrison to the Water Battery. In 1896 work started on seven-gun batteries ranging from 12-inch guns to 3-inch guns. Along with the new batteries came new post buildings starting in 1894 and being completed around 1910. All large caliber guns were removed in 1918 and only two batteries remained active through WW2.

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  The Guardhouse which has been replaced with a new one.
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  Mine Depot
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  Building 635 Abandon Officers Quarters
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  Side view of Building 635
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  Battery Mahan?
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  Battery King buried remains
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  WW2 Building
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  NCO quarters
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  NPS Office
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  Fort Totten Plan
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  Incomplete 1862 Water Battery

During my visit the Fort was closed, and I was unable to sneak into the Endicott Batteries due to the security guards on watch. The fort is mostly complete with a lot of the original post buildings still remaining. One of the 1894 barracks has been repurposed while the others are heavily deteriorated.

FOR A MORE DETAILED HISTORY VISIT THISWEBSITE!

FORT WADSWORTH

Fort Wadsworth was once a collection of multiple fortifications until 1902 when all of the structures were formed to be Fort Wadsworth. During the Civil War and the 1870s the fort was upgraded with new batteries, of which some were converted to Endicott batteries later. The first Endicott battery was Battery Duane with five 8-inch disappearing guns. Then more batteries followed bringing the total amount to 12 Endicott Batteries. Battery Duane suffered the worst of all the batteries over time. It was built of Rosendale cement which was cheap and not good for building gun batteries. Efforts were made to reconstruct the gun emplacements, but it just got worse and in 1915 the guns were removed and most of the magazines were blown out. During WW2 Fort Wadsworth was home to the HECP and was going to be equipped with a 16-inch battery (115) and a 6-inch battery (218). Only the six-inch battery was built. In 1959 plans to build a bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn was planned and finished in 1964. It was built with one end at Fort Wadsworth and another at Fort Hamilton on the other side. Fort Hamiltons Endicott arsenal suffered the worst with all the gun batteries being destroyed or buried but Fort Wadsworth did not fare much better with most of the Endicott batteries being buried to the gun loading levels or partially destroyed. Many Post Buildings were destroyed for Parking Lots and roadways. Battery Duane had one emplacement completely destroyed while other batteries had their magazines buried. Some of the Civil War batteries were filled in and built over. Today the two Third System forts are open for tours and the Endicott Batteries are fenced off or buried. A few Fire Control Stations remain, and one of the two Post Barracks remain. I was unable to get a tour of the third system forts, but I did walk around some other structures.

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  Modern Fort Wadsworth Map
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  Fort Wadsworth Map
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  Fort Wadsworth Ariel View
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  Fire Control Stations destroyed for the Bridge
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  1870s Battery Magazine
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  1870s Magazine
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  1870s Battery
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  Old Pier
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  Battery Duane Ruins
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  Battery Duane gun bolt
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  Battery Duane from Emplacement 3
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  Battery Duane remaining magazine
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  Battery Weed
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  Fort Tompkins front
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  Torpedo Storehouse
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  Battery Weed from Battery Bacon
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  Battery Bacon Emp 2
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  Battery Turnbull remaining emplacements
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  Battery Hudson Shell Hoist
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  Battery Hudson Crows Nest
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  Battery Hudson Emplacement 2
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  Battery Miller Emplacement 2 Crows Nest
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  Battery Hudson Emergency Crane
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  Battery Miller Buried Magazines
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  Battery Miller Emplacement 2
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  Fire Control Tower
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  Fire Control tower
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  Fire Control Tower Interior (Note: Ladder hole in ceiling)
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  Fire Control Tower Electric Box

FORT WOOD AND CASTLE CLINTON

Fort Wood was completed in 1811 on Bedloe's Island (Renamed Liberty Island in 1956). It remained active until 1937 when all Military personnel left. The Statue of Liberty was constructed in the Parade Ground of the Fort in 1884 and later the Parade ground was filled in. Post Buildings were built in 1904 while the Fort was still Garrisoned. During a transformation of the Island from 1950-1956 all remaining Military Buildings were removed and in 1964 the Statue was redone including modification of the Fort. The Casements were still intact until the 1950s transformation when the interior was renovated for a museum. Today the Fort is the base of the Statue of Liberty, and many people pass through it not knowing it was once a fort.

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  Main Entrance
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  A Casement that was destroyed for an exit from the Statue.
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  More Remains
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  Bolts that hold the Statue to the Pedestal
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  Castle Williams from the Statue

Castle Clinton was built on a manmade island in 1809 as a Second System Fort. In the 1850s land was filled around it to make it part of Manhattan. It was abandoned by the military in 1821. In 1855 the fort was renovated and modified to be an immigration station which operated until 1892 when Ellis Islands station opened. It became the NYC Aquarium in 1896 and more additions and renovations were completed. In 1941 the aquarium became too hard to maintain and it was put up for sale after it was threatened with demolition. It became a national monument in 1946 but was partially demolished in 1947. The fort was restored in the 1970s. Unfortunately, all of the alterations to the fort and its attempted restoration have left most of the 1809 structure gone and replaced.

Castle Clinton Today