Governors Island National Monument Historic Resource Study

Warren-Findley, Jannelle; Dallett, Nancy

Governors Island National Monument was first established by Presidential proclamation as a unit of the National Park System in 2001 in order to preserve in public ownership key defensive fortifications built to protect New York City, located just a few hundred yards away. Fort Jay and Castle Williams, erected between 1796 and 1811 as part of the First and Second American systems of coastal fortification, are among the finest examples of defensive structures in use between the Renaissance and the American Civil War. The Monument, consisting of approximately 22 acres on the northern tip of Governors Island, comprises only a portion of the former Governors Island military post, which increasingly surrounded the forts between the late 19th and mid 20th centuries when the base served as an important command headquarters. The United States Army continuously occupied Governors Island between1794 and 1966, after which it became the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest installation for the next 30 years. This historic resource study (HRS) was undertaken in conjunction with the initial National Park Service (NPS) planning effort for the Monument and provides baseline information. In addition to synthesizing the history of the army on Governors Island, this study pays particular attention to the role of the base in New York City history. The army post, so physically close, seemed especially attractive to political leaders in burgeoning New York between the late 19th and mid 20th centuries, and as this study documents, the city sought to regain control of the island first for a park and later for an airport. The manner in which the base was developed during this period reflected the ongoing controversy.