Fort Schuyler

Fort Schuyler
Fort Schuyler
Part of New York, New York
	Southern main gate
	Fort Schuyler Fort Schuyler Fort Schuyler
Coordinates	40°48′20″N 73°47′31″W / 40.80556°N 73.79194°W
Type	Garrison fort, training camp
Site information
Owner	U.S. Government (1833–1934); State University of New York Maritime College (1934–present);
Controlled by	United States Army (1833–1934); State University of New York Maritime College (1934–present);
Open to; the public	Yes
	Fort Schuyler
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. Historic district
	New York City Landmark No. 0124
Area	17 acres (6.9 ha)
Built	1833–1856
Architect	Capt. I.L. Smith (probably John Lind Smith (died 1858) of the US Army Corps of Engineers)
Architectural style	Third system of US fortifications
NRHP reference No.	76001206
NYCL No.	0124
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 29, 1976
Designated NYCL	April 19, 1966
Condition	Intact, occupied
Site history
Built by	United States Army Corps of Engineers
In use	1861–present
Battles/wars	American Civil War; World War I

Historic American Buildings Survey

Fort Schuyler is a preserved 19th century

Stephen B. Luce Library, and the Marine Transportation Department and Administrative offices of the State University of New York Maritime College. It is considered one of the finest examples of early 19th century fortifications. The fort was named in honor of Major General Philip Schuyler of the Continental Army.^[3]

History

Fort Schuyler was one of many forts built along the east coast of the United States under the third system of US fortifications in the aftermath of the War of 1812, when it became apparent that the U.S. coast was poorly defended against foreign invasion. Fort Schuyler was begun in 1833 and dedicated in 1856 after 75% completion, though not garrisoned until 1861. The fort was strategically positioned to protect New York City from naval attack through Long Island Sound, guarding the eastern entrance to New York Harbor. It is located on Throggs Neck, the southeastern tip of the Bronx, where the East River meets Long Island Sound. Fort Totten, built during the Civil War and largely incomplete, faces it on the opposite side of the river. Their interlocking batteries created a bottleneck of defenses against ships attempting to approach New York City.^[4]

Design and construction

Fort Schuyler, at its peak, boasted 312 guns

demi-bastions protecting its face against a direct assault, along with a large ravelin extending northwest along the peninsula to break up an attack. Two additional demi-bastions protected the gap between the hornwork and the main fort. The demi-bastions and redoubt were armed with several flank howitzers each.^[5]^[7]

Civil War

During the

prisoners of war^[6] from the Confederate States Army and military convicts from the Union Army. It also included the McDougall Hospital, which had a capacity of 2,000 beds.^[8]

The fort was well designed for its time, it is said to have had one of the most effective waste removal systems ever seen in a fort from this time period.

Fort Schuyler was also a

Irish Brigade"). From January 1863 until March 1864, the fort itself was garrisoned by the 20th Independent Battery, New York Volunteer Artillery, a unit originally recruited to fight in the war as part of the Anthon Battalion of Volunteer Light Artillery.^[10]^[11]

3"/50 caliber naval

anti-aircraft gun on maritime mount

Duty at the fort was reported to be a dull assignment as the men took the roles of guards and hospital stewards, not artillerymen.

VI Corps of the Army of the Potomac and duty in the defenses of Washington, D.C. The Anderson Zouaves finally mustered out from Fort Schuyler on August 30, 1865.^[12]

Endicott era

A ten-gun battery was built 1873–1876 as part of a general fort improvement program, along with a mine casemate (bunker) for a

Fishers Island.^[13]

After the

3-inch antiaircraft guns was built at the fort.^[3] In 1920, with the war over, Battery Beecher's 3-inch guns were scrapped as part of a general removal from service of the M1898 3-inch gun. The 10-inch guns of Battery Hazzard followed in 1930; the reason for this is unclear. In 1934 the fort was disarmed and turned over to the state. All of the Endicott-era batteries were demolished in the 1950s.^[16]

College

In the late 1920s Fort Schuyler was placed on the abandoned list by the U.S. Army. When this was done, it was targeted for acquisition by Robert Moses for conversion to a state park as well as a permanent shore base for the New York State Merchant Marine Academy (now SUNY Maritime College). A protracted political struggle ensued, but eventually the academy forces prevailed. The site was transferred to the state of New York in 1934 during the Great Depression, then rehabilitated by the Works Progress Administration and dedicated to the school in 1938.^[17] The college, which was founded in 1874, still occupies the site, and in 1948 was one of the original 29 founding schools to be incorporated into the State University of New York as the State University of New York Maritime College. The fort has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.^[18]

Maritime Industry Museum

In 1986, a portion of Fort Schuyler was dedicated as the Maritime Industry Museum. The museum houses exhibits on the history of the United States maritime industry, including commercial shipping, the

merchant marine, and the port of New York, as well as exhibits on the history of Fort Schuyler. It is open to the public on weekdays.^[19]^[20]

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ Heitman, Francis B. (1903). Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, 1789-1903, Vol. 1. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. p. 900.
^ ^a ^b ^c Fort Schuyler (1) at FortWiki.com
^ Roberts, p. 579
^ ^a ^b Weaver 2018, pp. 141–143.
^ ^a ^b Fort Schuyler at New York State Military Museum
^ ^a ^b Fort Schuyler at American Forts Network
^ ^a ^b See a "post history" for Fort Schuyler on NARA microfilm M903 reel 4; and Brooklyn Eagle, October 22, 1863, p. 3.
^ "Col. Baker's First California Regiment". The New York Times. June 24, 1861.
^ New York, 20th Indep Battery Light Arty at CivilWarArchive.com
^ 20th Independent Battery, NYVA at New York State Military Museum
^ 62nd NY Infantry "Anderson Zouaves" at New York State Military Museum
^ ^a ^b Berhow, pp. 208-209
^ 69th Coast Artillery in WWI
^ US Army Railway Artillery in WWI at Rootsweb.com
^ The WPA Guide to New York, 1939, repr. 1982, p. 546.
^ "Seeking a Safe Harbor: The Acquisition and Reconstruction of Fort Schuyler by the New York State Merchant Marine Academy (1927-1938)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 19, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011. J. Williams, "Seeking a Safe Harbor," Bronx County Historical Society Journal, Spring/Fall 2010
^ New York - Bronx County, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed October 20, 2007.
^ Maritime Industry Museum official site
^ Maritime Museum history page

Berhow, Mark A., ed. (2015). American Seacoast Defenses, A Reference Guide (Third ed.). McLean, Virginia: CDSG Press.
ISBN 978-0-9748167-3-9
.

Lewis, Emanuel Raymond (1979). Seacoast Fortifications of the United States. Annapolis: Leeward Publications.
ISBN 978-0-929521-11-4
.

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
.

Weaver, John R. II (2018). A Legacy in Brick and Stone: American Coastal Defense Forts of the Third System, 1816-1867, 2nd Ed. McLean, VA: Redoubt Press.
ISBN 978-1-7323916-1-1
.

External links

[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.

[2] Heitman, Francis B. (1903). Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, 1789-1903, Vol. 1. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. p. 900.

[FWiki1-3] Fort Schuyler (1) at FortWiki.com

[4] Roberts, p. 579

[FOOTNOTEWeaver2018141–143-5] Weaver 2018, pp. 141–143.

[NYSMM1-6] Fort Schuyler at New York State Military Museum

[NAForts1-7] Fort Schuyler at American Forts Network

[PostHistEagle1-8] See a "post history" for Fort Schuyler on NARA microfilm M903 reel 4; and Brooklyn Eagle, October 22, 1863, p. 3.

[9] "Col. Baker's First California Regiment". The New York Times. June 24, 1861.

[10] New York, 20th Indep Battery Light Arty at CivilWarArchive.com

[11] 20th Independent Battery, NYVA at New York State Military Museum

[12] 62nd NY Infantry "Anderson Zouaves" at New York State Military Museum

[Berhow208-13] Berhow, pp. 208-209

[69thArty-14] 69th Coast Artillery in WWI

[15] US Army Railway Artillery in WWI at Rootsweb.com

[16] The WPA Guide to New York, 1939, repr. 1982, p. 546.

[17] "Seeking a Safe Harbor: The Acquisition and Reconstruction of Fort Schuyler by the New York State Merchant Marine Academy (1927-1938)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 19, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011. J. Williams, "Seeking a Safe Harbor," Bronx County Historical Society Journal, Spring/Fall 2010

[18] New York - Bronx County, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed October 20, 2007.

[19] Maritime Industry Museum official site

[20] Maritime Museum history page

[2]

[1]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[7]

[6]

[8]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in New York
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by county	Albany Allegany Bronx Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua Chemung Chenango Clinton Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie Essex Franklin Fulton Genesee Greene Hamilton Herkimer Jefferson Kings (Brooklyn) Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Montgomery Nassau New York (Manhattan) Niagara Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Orleans Oswego Otsego Putnam Queens Rensselaer Richmond (Staten Island) Rockland Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Schuyler Seneca St. Lawrence Steuben Suffolk Sullivan Tioga Tompkins Ulster Warren Washington Wayne Westchester Northern Southern Wyoming Yates
Lists by city	Albany Buffalo New Rochelle New York City Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Manhattan Below 14th St. 14th–59th St. 59th–110th St. Above 110th St. Minor islands Niagara Falls Peekskill Poughkeepsie Rhinebeck Rochester Syracuse Yonkers
Other lists	Bridges and tunnels National Historic Landmarks
Category List National Register of Historic Places Portal