Fort Gansevoort
Coordinates: 40°44′23″N 74°00′32″W / 40.73972°N 74.00889°W
| Fort Gansevoort | |
|---|---|
| New York City borough of Manhattan, New York, between Gansevoort Street and West 12th Street | |
 Fort Gansevoort | |
  Fort Gansevoort | |
| Coordinates | 40°44′23″N 74°00′32″W / 40.73972°N 74.00889°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1812 |
| Built by | United States Army Corps of Engineers |
| In use | 1812–1849 |
| Materials | red sandstone |
| Fate | demolished 1854 |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
Fort Gansevoort was a former United States Army fort in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It was also called the White Fort due to its whitewashed exterior.[1]
History[]
The fort was named for Peter Gansevoort, a Revolutionary War officer. It was located between Gansevoort Street and West 12th Street, near the west end of Gansevoort Street, strategically positioned to defend the Hudson River. The fort was completed in 1812, shortly after the outbreak of the War of 1812, and mounted 22 guns, along with a shot furnace, magazine, arsenal, and barracks.[2] Some sources state that construction began in 1808; however, the fort does not appear in the Secretary of War's report on fortifications for December 1811.[3] Forts built with state or local resources did not appear in these reports. The fort was part of what was later called the second system of US fortifications.
In support of the fort, North Battery, constructed similarly to Castle Clinton, was built on landfill in the Hudson River, and connected to Manhattan by a bridge at Canal Street.[4]
Fort Gansevoort did not see action, as New York City was not attacked in that war. It was demolished in either 1849 or 1854 (references vary).[5] It was on the site of a previous weapons development center, where George Bomford developed the first columbiad cannon.[6]
In 2015 a building near the fort's site was redeveloped as an events center and named Fort Gansevoort.[7][8]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Fort Gansevoort at American Forts Network
- ^ Fort Gansevoort at FortWiki.com
- ^ Wade, pp. 241-246
- ^ Klawonn, Marion J. (1977). Cradle of the Corps: A History of the New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1775-1975. Department of Defense, Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, New York District.
- ^ Roberts, p. 554
- ^ Wade, p. 177
- ^ Fort Gansevoort website
- ^ Fort Gansevoort article at Forbes.com
- Roberts, Robert B. (1988). Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 0-02-926880-X.
- Wade, Arthur P. (2011). Artillerists and Engineers: The Beginnings of American Seacoast Fortifications, 1794-1815. CDSG Press. ISBN 978-0-9748167-2-2.
External links[]
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- Forts in Manhattan
- Demolished buildings and structures in Manhattan
- Lower Manhattan
- Fortification stubs