Fort Hamilton Historic District is a historic district

Historic district (United States)

In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...

 including all of Rose Island

Rose Island (Rhode Island)

Rose Island is an island in Narragansett Bay off Newport, Rhode Island. The name of the island is allegedly named "Rose Island" because at low tide the island appears to be shaped like a rose. The Island is only accessible by boat...

 in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

. The district includes Rose Island Light

Rose Island Light

The Rose Island Light, built in 1870, is located on Rose Island in Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island in the United States. The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation preserves, maintains and operates the lighthouse....

 and an early U.S. military fortification designed in part by Major Louis de Tousard

Louis de Tousard

Louis de Tousard was a French artillerist who served in the American Continental Army under La Fayette, and later was given a US commission...

. The fort was named after Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...

.

History

The earliest fortifications on Rose Island were built in 1780 during the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

 around the time of the Battle of Rhode Island

Battle of Rhode Island

The Battle of Rhode Island, also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill and the Siege of Newport, took place on August 29, 1778. Continental Army and militia forces under the command of General John Sullivan were withdrawing to the northern part of Aquidneck Island after abandoning their siege of...

. Later construction took place from 1798 to 1801 but was left largely unfinished except for a long barracks

Barracks

Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...

 building used by the U.S. Infantry. In the 19th century Fort Hamilton was used as a quarantine station for the port of Newport, and the island served a popular picnic destination. Starting in the late 19th century, the island became part of the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station, and during World War I and World War II the fort was used for munitions storage by the U.S. Navy as it conducted torpedo tests also using facilities on nearby Goat Island

Goat Island

-Arts:* Goat Island , a Chicago-based company* Goat Island , Delitto all'isola delle capre, by Ugo Betti-Canada:* Goat Island, one of the Little Bay Islands in Newfoundland and Labrador* Goat Island -Ireland:...

 and Gould Island. During World War II anti-aircraft guns were also added to the island. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 2001.