Fort Wadsworth
Encyclopedia
Fort Wadsworth is a former United States military
installation on Staten Island
in New York City
, situated on The Narrows
which divide New York Bay
into Upper
and Lower
halves, a natural point for defense of the Upper Bay and Manhattan
beyond. Prior to closing in 1994 it claimed to be the longest continually-manned military installation in the United States
. It is now maintained by the National Park Service
.
The first use of the land for military purposes was as the site of a blockhouse
in 1663. During the American Revolution
it became known as Flagstaff Fort
; captured by the British in 1776, it remained in British hands until the war's end in 1783. It became the responsibility of New York State in 1806, and reverted to federal control during the War of 1812
. Divided into several smaller units, including Fort Tompkins
and Fort Richmond, its present name was adopted in 1864 to honor Brigadier General
James Wadsworth
, who had been killed in the Battle of the Wilderness
during the Civil War
.
In 1910, the fort fired a 21-gun salute
to former President Theodore Roosevelt
as his ship passed through the Narrows on his return from a nearly year-long trip to Africa and Europe. In 1913, ground was broken by President William Howard Taft
for a proposed National American Indian Memorial
that was to be built on the site of Fort Tompkins. The monument was to include a 165 feet (50.3 m) statue of an American Indian on the bluff overlooking the Narrows, but difficulties in fundraising and the advent of World War I precluded fruition of the plan.
By 1924, Fort Wadsworth had become an infantry
post, and from 1955 until 1974 it was the headquarters of the 52nd AAA Brigade. It then was the site of the United States Army Chaplain school before being turned over to the United States Navy
in 1979, which used it as the headquarters of its New York Naval Station. The property became part of Gateway National Recreation Area
when the Navy left in 1995. Shortly after that, the United States Coast Guard
became a tenant in some of the buildings and housing previously occupied by the Navy. As of 2007, they are occupied by the United States Coast Guard
's Sector New York and a Maritime Safety and Security Team
.
Historic structures include Battery Weed
, directly on the harbor, and Fort Tompkins on the bluff above. Both were built in the mid-19th Century and are open to the public on guided tours only. There are several smaller early 20th Century coastal artillery
batteries and an overlook with panoramic views of the Upper Bay, Brooklyn
and Manhattan. The National Park Service maintains a visitors' center on site and offers ranger-led tours of the facilities Wednesdays through Sundays.
, west of Shore Acres
and north of South Beach
. This neighborhood once had a station
on the South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway
; service on this branch ceased in 1953.
of the elite United States military counterterrorism unit G.I. Joe
was based in "The Pit
," a secret underground base beneath the Motor Pool of the Army Chaplains' Assistants School in Fort Wadsworth. After Cobra discovered the location of The Pit and destroyed it in a surprise attack, G.I. Joe relocated its headquarters elsewhere. Although written in 1982, the book still depicted the fort as the home of the "Chaplain's Assistants School", due to Larry Hama
's memories of the fort from his years in the service. Also, Ft. Wadsworth did not actually have a proper motor pool; its equipment was serviced at Fort Hamilton
.
40.605506°N 74.054163°W
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
installation on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, situated on The Narrows
The Narrows
The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean...
which divide New York Bay
New York Bay
New York Bay is the collective term for the marine areas surrounding the entrance of the Hudson River into the Atlantic Ocean. Its two largest components are Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay, which are connected by The Narrows...
into Upper
Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay, or Upper Bay, is the traditional heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, and often called New York Harbor. It is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island and the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne.It...
and Lower
Lower New York Bay
Lower New York Bay is that section of New York Bay south of the Narrows, the relatively narrow strait between the shores of Staten Island and Brooklyn. The southern end of the bay opens directly to the Atlantic Ocean between two spits of land, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Rockaway, Queens, on Long...
halves, a natural point for defense of the Upper Bay and Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
beyond. Prior to closing in 1994 it claimed to be the longest continually-manned military installation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is now maintained by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
History
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
in 1663. 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...
it became known as Flagstaff Fort
Flagstaff Fort
A Patriot Redoubt built in June of 1776, located on Signal Hill at the narrows on Staten Island. Site of an earlier 1663 blockhouse by De Vries . Taken by the British in 1776 and by July 1779 a redoubt with gun platforms for 26 cannon were built. In 1782 had five bastions. Evacuated 1783...
; captured by the British in 1776, it remained in British hands until the war's end in 1783. It became the responsibility of New York State in 1806, and reverted to federal control during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Divided into several smaller units, including Fort Tompkins
Fort Tompkins
Fort Tompkins may refer to:*Fort Tompkins , a former fort in Sackets Harbor, New York*Fort Tompkins , a former fort in Buffalo, New York*Fort Tompkins , a former fort in Plattsburgh, New York...
and Fort Richmond, its present name was adopted in 1864 to honor Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
James Wadsworth
James S. Wadsworth
James Samuel Wadsworth was a philanthropist, politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was killed in battle during the Battle of the Wilderness of 1864.-Early years:...
, who had been killed in the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
In 1910, the fort fired a 21-gun salute
21-gun salute
Gun salutes are the firing of cannons or firearms as a military or naval honor.The custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent...
to former President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
as his ship passed through the Narrows on his return from a nearly year-long trip to Africa and Europe. In 1913, ground was broken by President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
for a proposed National American Indian Memorial
National American Indian Memorial
The National American Indian Memorial was a proposed monument to American Indians to be erected on a bluff overlooking the Narrows, the main entrance to New York Harbor...
that was to be built on the site of Fort Tompkins. The monument was to include a 165 feet (50.3 m) statue of an American Indian on the bluff overlooking the Narrows, but difficulties in fundraising and the advent of World War I precluded fruition of the plan.
By 1924, Fort Wadsworth had become an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
post, and from 1955 until 1974 it was the headquarters of the 52nd AAA Brigade. It then was the site of the United States Army Chaplain school before being turned over to the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1979, which used it as the headquarters of its New York Naval Station. The property became part of Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Scattered over Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, New York and Monmouth County, New Jersey, it provides recreational opportunities that are rare for a dense urban environment, including ocean...
when the Navy left in 1995. Shortly after that, the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
became a tenant in some of the buildings and housing previously occupied by the Navy. As of 2007, they are occupied by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
's Sector New York and a Maritime Safety and Security Team
Maritime Safety and Security Team
A Maritime Safety and Security Team or MSST is a United States Coast Guard anti-terrorism team established to protect local maritime assets...
.
Historic structures include Battery Weed
Battery Weed
Battery Weed is a substantial three-tiered 19th century fortification guarding the Narrows, the main approach from the Atlantic Ocean to New York City...
, directly on the harbor, and Fort Tompkins on the bluff above. Both were built in the mid-19th Century and are open to the public on guided tours only. There are several smaller early 20th Century coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
batteries and an overlook with panoramic views of the Upper Bay, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and Manhattan. The National Park Service maintains a visitors' center on site and offers ranger-led tours of the facilities Wednesdays through Sundays.
Neighborhood
The name "Fort Wadsworth" is also sometimes used to denote the residential neighborhood surrounding the former fort, the neighborhood south of RosebankRosebank, Staten Island
Rosebank is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.Originally called Peterstown, the name "Rosebank" appears to have been first used to denote the neighborhood around 1880...
, west of Shore Acres
Shore Acres, Staten Island
Shore Acres is a neighborhood of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City. It is situated along the Upper New York Bay, just north of Fort Wadsworth and south of Rosebank....
and north of South Beach
South Beach, Staten Island
South Beach is the name of a neighborhood located on the East Shore of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, USA. It is situated immediately to the south of the Staten Island side of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge...
. This neighborhood once had a station
Fort Wadsworth (Staten Island Railway station)
Fort Wadsworth was a station on the demolished South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway, near the historic Fort Wadsworth. It had two side platforms and two tracks. It closed on March 31, 1953....
on the South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
; service on this branch ceased in 1953.
In popular culture
The comic book versionG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Marvel Comics)
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a comic book that was published by Marvel Comics from 1982 to 1994. Based on Hasbro, Inc.'s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys, the series has been credited for making G.I. Joe into a pop-culture phenomenon. G.I...
of the elite United States military counterterrorism unit G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a military-themed line of action figures and toys in Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise. The toyline lasted from 1982 to 1994, producing well over 500 figures and 250 vehicles and playsets. The line reappeared in 1997 and has continued in one form or another to the...
was based in "The Pit
The Pit (G.I. Joe)
The Pit is the fictional headquarters of the specialist G.I. Joe team from the 1980s Marvel comic book created by Larry Hama. It is a multi-level underground base complete with training facilities, living quarters, a briefing room, and heavy equipment storage....
," a secret underground base beneath the Motor Pool of the Army Chaplains' Assistants School in Fort Wadsworth. After Cobra discovered the location of The Pit and destroyed it in a surprise attack, G.I. Joe relocated its headquarters elsewhere. Although written in 1982, the book still depicted the fort as the home of the "Chaplain's Assistants School", due to Larry Hama
Larry Hama
Larry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
's memories of the fort from his years in the service. Also, Ft. Wadsworth did not actually have a proper motor pool; its equipment was serviced at Fort Hamilton
Fort Hamilton
Historic Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...
.
External links
- Fort Wadsworth Visitor information
- Gateway National Recreation Area
- Staten Island tourism info on Fort Wadsworth
- Pictures Of Fort Wadsworth at Cognitive Response
40.605506°N 74.054163°W