National Register of Historic Places

Fort Jay

New York, New York County, New York
Listed
March 26, 1974
Type
Structure
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
74001268

About this property

Fort Jay is a coastal bastion fort and the name of a former United States Army post on Governors Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. Fort Jay is the oldest existing defensive structure on the island, and was named for John Jay, a member of the Federalist Party, New York governor, Chief Justice of the United States, Secretary of State, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. It was built in 1794 to defend Upper New York Bay, but has served other purposes. From 1806 to 1904 it was named Fort Columbus, presumably for explorer Christopher Columbus. Today, the National Park Service administers Fort Jay and Castle Williams as the Governors Island National Monument.

Location

New York, New York County, New York
40.69137, -74.01586

Categories

MILITARY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Governors Island
Listed
0 mi
Admiral's House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Governor's House
Colonial
0.2 mi
Block House, The
Industrial
0.2 mi
Castle Williams
Early Republic
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Raid on the New York Battery
1775Revolutionary War
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fort Jay listed on the National Register?

Fort Jay was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Fort Jay?

Fort Jay is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fort Jay?

The period of significance for Fort Jay is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near Fort Jay?

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