Fort Jay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort JayFort Columbus |
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| Part of Governors Island | |
| New York County, New York, United States | |
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| Type | Fortification |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Public - National Park Service |
| Controlled by | United States of America |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
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Fort Jay
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 Location in New York City
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Visitation | 126,000 (2008) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001268 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 27, 1974 |
| Condition | Good |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1794, 1806, 1833 |
| Built by | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jonathan Williams |
| In use | 1794-1997 |
| Materials | Sandstone, Granite, Brick |
Fort Jay is an old star-shaped fort and a former United States Army base on Governors Island in New York Harbor. It's located right in New York City. This fort is the oldest defense structure still standing on the island. It was named after John Jay, an important person in early American history. He was a governor of New York, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and a Secretary of State.
Fort Jay was first built in 1794 to protect Upper New York Bay. But it has been used for many other things over the years. From 1806 to 1904, it was called Fort Columbus, likely after the explorer Christopher Columbus. Today, the National Park Service takes care of Fort Jay and Castle Williams. They are part of the Governors Island National Monument.
Contents
Fort Jay's Role in the American Revolution
Fort Jay stands on Governors Island, which was once called Nutten Island. This name came from the Dutch words for "Nut Island." The fort is built on the spot where earth walls were first put up to defend New York City during the American Revolution.
Early Defenses and Battles
General Israel Putnam started building these first earth defenses in April 1776. They had eight cannons to protect New York Harbor. More guns were added later. On July 12, 1776, the cannons on Nutten Island fired at two British ships, HMS Phoenix and HMS Rose. The American guns caused enough damage to make the British careful about entering the East River. This caution later helped General George Washington's army escape from Brooklyn to Manhattan. This happened after they lost the Battle of Long Island.
The Americans left these earthworks in September 1776. This led to the British taking over New York City. The British Army improved the defenses and used the island as a hospital. They left on November 25, 1783, a day known as Evacuation Day. After that, Governors Island became part of New York State.
Building the Fort in the Federal Period
After the British left in 1783, the old defenses fell apart. Ten years later, in 1794, New York State started paying to fix them. The fort was rebuilt as a square with four strong corners. It was named after John Jay, who was then the governor of New York. By 1797, the U.S. Congress gave $30,117 to keep building. To get more money and care from the federal government, New York State gave Governors Island and Fort Jay to the U.S. government in 1800 for just one dollar.
Changes and New Names
In 1806, the earth walls were replaced with strong granite and brick. The fort was made bigger based on plans by Major Jonathan Williams. He was a chief engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Williams rebuilt the fort with sandstone and granite walls. He also added an arrow-shaped ravelin (an outer defense) and a dry moat around it. The moat was surrounded by a sloped grassy area called a glacis. This area was kept clear of trees to give a clear view of any approaching enemies. It also helped stop cannonballs from warships. These changes gave the fort its star shape and its position on the highest part of the island. The walls and gate were finished in 1808. Later, small wooden and brick buildings were built inside the fort for soldiers to live in.
The fort was first named Fort Jay for John Jay. But after Thomas Jefferson became President in 1800, there was a political shift. Jay was a Federalist, and Jefferson's party didn't like the treaty Jay had made with Great Britain. So, after the 1806 rebuilding, the fort was renamed Fort Columbus. This was likely in honor of Christopher Columbus. The name change happened between late 1806 and mid-1807. An early historian of Governors Island thought it was because Jay was unpopular. However, no clear reason for the name change has been found. The fort kept the name "Columbus" for most of the 1800s. It finally went back to being Fort Jay in 1904.
Fort Columbus was very important for the military in New York City. It was the biggest army base defending the city. Along with other forts like Fort Wood and Castle Clinton, it protected the city and Upper New York Bay. This system of forts is believed to have stopped the British from attacking New York City during the War of 1812. The British chose easier targets instead.
Fort Jay in the 19th Century and the Civil War
As years passed, especially after the 1820s, new forts were built at the Narrows of New York Harbor. These new forts, like Fort Richmond and Fort Hamilton, made the older forts in Upper New York Bay less important for defense. The Army eventually gave or sold most of these older properties. But Fort Columbus was kept because it had enough land (68 acres) for a small army base. It was also close to Manhattan.
A Training Ground for Future Generals
Soldiers at Fort Columbus started recording weather observations in the 1820s. The fort was also the closest major army base to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Because of this, many new army officers came through Fort Columbus. It was often their first assignment or a major departure point. Many future generals from the Civil War served here as young officers. These included famous names like Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.
By the 1830s, new weapons technology made Fort Columbus less useful for defense. But the army found other uses for it. The fort was renovated starting in 1833. Four new barracks (buildings for soldiers) were built. These barracks, built in the Greek Revival style, are still there today. They were used as homes for officers and enlisted soldiers. In the same year, the New York Arsenal was set up next to the fort. This was a major place for receiving and sending out weapons to army bases across the country. In 1836, the South Battery on the island became the Army School of Music Practice. Here, young boys learned to be drummers and fife players.
The army also put its main recruiting office for infantry soldiers at Fort Columbus in 1852. Many army regiments sent officers here to help with recruiting.
Role in the Civil War
Twice, in December 1860 and April 1861, the Army secretly sent troops and supplies from Fort Columbus. They were trying to help the soldiers at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The first attempt failed when a ship was fired upon in January 1861. This event caused a crisis and made southern states think more seriously about leaving the Union. The second attempt also failed. New recruits left Fort Columbus on April 9, 1861. This led to South Carolina forces firing on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, which started the Civil War.
In the early years of the Civil War, the north barracks at Fort Columbus held Confederate officers captured in battle. They were kept here before being moved to other Union prisons. Fort Columbus and Castle Williams also served as temporary prisoner of war camps and hospitals for Confederate prisoners. Major General William H. C. Whiting, a high-ranking Confederate officer, died here in February 1865.
Later in the war, the fort's weapons were updated. Nearly fifty large Rodman guns (10-inch and 15-inch) were added. During World War II, most of these guns were sent to steel mills to be melted down for the war effort. But four 10-inch guns and one 15-inch gun were kept at the fort's entrance and north ravelin as decorations.
Headquarters for Army Commands
After the American Civil War, the New York Arsenal became a major place for getting rid of extra cannons and ammunition. These were used for war memorials, sold as scrap, or sold to other countries.
In 1878, the U.S. Army moved many of its offices from rented buildings in cities to army bases. In New York City, almost all army offices moved to Governors Island. This made Fort Columbus the headquarters for the Division of the Atlantic and later the Department of the East. These commands covered almost all army activities east of the Mississippi River. Being in charge at Fort Columbus was a very important job, second only to high-ranking positions in Washington, D.C.. Many commanders here later became the top general of the U.S. Army.
Fort Jay in the 20th Century
Around 1900, President Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of War, Elihu Root, became interested in Fort Columbus and Governors Island. Root wanted to improve the army base on the island. He also wanted to stop New York City from trying to take over the island for a city park. Root also saw the island as a way to quickly protect important places like Wall Street in Lower Manhattan.
Expansion and Renaming
Root started a project to make the island bigger. It grew from 60 acres to 172 acres using dirt from the new New York City Subway and mud from New York Harbor. Root also hired a famous architectural firm, McKim, Mead and White, to plan the island's future. Their plan was to tear down all existing buildings except for the three original forts and a new chapel. This showed Root's interest in keeping the historical structures. In February 1904, as one of his last acts as Secretary of War, Root changed the fort's name back to Fort Jay.
In the 1930s, a WPA project completely changed the barracks inside Fort Jay into family homes. Each barracks building became four townhouse-style apartments for junior officers and their families. Garages were also built inside the fort for residents' cars.
During World War II, Fort Jay was the headquarters for the First Army early in the war. Later, it became the headquarters for the Eastern Defense Command (EDC). The EDC was in charge of all Army units and defense in the northeastern United States. This included coast defense, antiaircraft, and fighter units.
End of Military Use
In November 1964, the U.S. Army announced that Fort Jay would close. This was part of an effort to reduce the number of military bases. The duties of the Second Army were combined with the First Army. The First Army's headquarters moved to Fort Meade, Maryland. In 1966, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) took control of Governors Island. They continued to use Fort Jay to house officers until they closed their Governors Island base in September 1996.
On January 19, 2001, Fort Jay, Castle Williams, and 23 acres around them became part of the Governors Island National Monument. The National Park Service now manages them. Fort Jay is known as one of the best examples of early American military forts. Since 2003, both forts have been open to the public during the summer. They are being repaired and the rest of the island is being redeveloped by New York City.
Images for kids
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Looking north across Fort Jay with Lower Manhattan skyscrapers in the background.
See also
In Spanish: Fort Jay para niños
