Battery Weed facts for kids
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Battery Weed
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 Location in New York City
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| Location | Fort Wadsworth Reservation, New York, New York |
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| Area | less than 1-acre (4,000 m2) |
| Built | 1845–1861 |
| Architect | Robert E. Lee, Joseph G. Totten |
| Architectural style | Third System of US fortifications |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000908 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 20, 1972 |
Battery Weed is an old fort built in the 1800s. It has four levels for cannons. This fort stands guard at the Narrows, which is the main water path from the Atlantic Ocean into New York City. You can find it on the Staten Island waterfront. It is right across from Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. The fort was built to protect New York from attacks by ships coming from the sea. When it was first built, it was called Fort Richmond. There was an even older fort on the same spot with that name too.
Contents
History of Battery Weed
Early Forts (1800s)
The very first fort on this spot was started in 1806 by the State of New York. It was ready to be used by 1808, even though it wasn't fully finished. This fort was made of red sandstone and was named Fort Richmond. It got its name from Richmond County, where Staten Island is located.
Another fort, called the first Fort Tompkins, protected Fort Richmond from the land side. Both of these forts were made of red sandstone. They were expanded and finished during the War of 1812.
Building the New Fort (1840s)
By 1835, the old Fort Richmond and Fort Tompkins were in bad shape. They were not fit for use anymore. So, in 1836, the United States government began buying them.
In 1847, a big project started to completely rebuild both forts. This was part of a large national plan to build new forts along the coast. This plan came about after Washington, D.C., was burned during the War of 1812. The forts you see today are from this rebuilding project.
Some people say that Robert E. Lee helped design the new Fort Richmond. He worked as an engineer at Fort Hamilton in the 1840s. The detailed design for the new Fort Richmond was done by General Joseph G. Totten. It was built between 1845 and 1861.
The new Fort Richmond was unusual because it had four levels of cannons facing the sea. It could hold 116 guns! Only a few other forts in the United States had four levels like this. In 1865, the fort was renamed Fort Wadsworth. It was named after Brigadier General James S. Wadsworth, who died in 1864 during the Civil War.
Later Changes (Late 1800s - Early 1900s)
In 1875, a special room was built inside the fort. This room was used to control an underwater minefield. Mines became a regular part of harbor defenses later on.
Around the 1890s, many new gun batteries were built near the fort. This was part of a big program to improve the Harbor Defenses of New York. As part of this program, the entire fortified area on Staten Island was renamed Fort Wadsworth in 1902. The old Fort Richmond then became known as Battery Weed. It was named after Brigadier General Stephen H. Weed, who died in 1863.
In 1903, a small lighthouse was built on top of Battery Weed. Its light could be seen for about 14 miles (22 kilometers). When the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened in 1965, the lighthouse was no longer needed. It was dark for many years, but volunteers fixed it up in 2005. They even made it run on solar power!
Battery Weed Today
Fort Wadsworth was an active military base until 1994. The U.S. Navy used it for its last few years. In 1995, Battery Weed and the rest of Fort Wadsworth were given to the National Park Service. They are now part of the Gateway National Recreation Area.
You can visit Battery Weed's interior, but only on special tours led by park rangers. However, you can always see the outside of the fort. There is also an old 10-inch cannon, called a Rodman gun, preserved inside the fort.
