Significance
Both presidential proclamations noted that the island served as an outpost to protect New York City from sea attack. Between 1806 and 1811, Castle Williams and Fort Jay were constructed as part of the First and Second American Systems of Coastal Fortification. The fortifications represent two examples of defensive structures in use from the Revolution to the American Civil War and played important roles in the War of 1812, the American Civil War, and World Wars I and II.
The fortifications were built on the most strategic defensive positions on the island. Fort Jay, constructed between 1806 and 1809, is on the highest point of the island from which its glacis, originally an open landscape, slopes down to the waterfront on all sides. Castle Williams, started in 1807 and completed in November 1811, occupies a rocky promontory in the harbor channels and served as the most important strategic defensive point in the upper bay of New York Harbor.
By the 1830s, the protective functions of both fortifications had diminished, but an urban Army post evolved around the fortifications. By the 1870s, the post became a major headquarters for the U.S. Army, a role it played until the Army's departure in 1965. The residential and instituional structures surrounding the two fortifications are now part of the Governors Island National Historic Landmark District, containing over 60 structures related to two centuries of the military history of the nation.
Since the island was managed by the United States Army and the United States Coast Guard for nearly 200 years, and was no longer required for defense or Coast Guard purposes, the establishment of the monument provided an excellent opportunity for the public to observe and understand the harbor history, its defense and its ecology.
The island and monument, currently under development, has been open on a seasonal basis during the summer months since 2003. In 2010, over 400,000 visitors visited the island and monument during a 60 day season.
Read more about this topic: Governors Island National Monument
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)