Now known as Liberty Island
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The following information provided by the US Park Service at their excellent site: http://www.cr.nps.gov/phad/stlilcs.html IDLCS: 40500 Name: Fort Wood Walls Also Known as: Star Fort Built: 1808 - 1811 Altered: 1844 Altered: 1886 Altered: 1930 - 1965 Description: 24' High Battered Walls (20' Thick at Base) Form: 11-Pointed Star, Battered Water Table, Projecting Pararpet/Coping Construction Materials: Quarry-Faced Granite Ashlars Defensive Features: 
Slots at Inside Corners Massive Iron Doors at Sally Port Entrance Stone Magazine Brick Arsenal Named for: Eleazer Wood (Engineering Officer, Captain, War of 1812, later Lt. Colonel) Date of Construction: 1808-1811 as part of New York Harbor Defense to protect Battery (Tip of Manhattan) and Ellis Island, among others (30) 24-Pound Cannons mounted "en barbette." Date Selected as Site for STATUE OF LIBERTY: 1877 From New York's Forts: 1811 12 pointed star-shaped battery with 30 guns completed 1814 Named Ft Wood (for LtCol Elenzer Wood battle of Lake Erie) 1861 Used as Infirmary for 100 sick Confederate POWs 1877 Under consideration for the Statue of Liberty; garrison post built around original fort. 1886 Statue installed. 1902 Taken over for maintenance by the War Department. 1916 The National Park Service formed 1933 NPS took over operations of two acres; Army kept 10 acres. 1937 NPS took total control; Army begins to close the fort 1944 December. Army Finally closes fort. 1948 to 1950 Garrison post buildings of Fort Wood torn down Visit Liberty Facts for more information on Liberty Island 
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Statue of Liberty circa 1890 Fort Wood walls and cannons in foreground This photo from the Collections of the Library of Congress at their excellent site: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/077_stat.html |
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This page maintained by Gary Feuerstein
Page Initiated 30 April 2000
