Castle Clinton
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Castle Clinton National Monument
Castle Garden |
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Castle Clinton in Battery Park
Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey |
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| Location | Battery Park, Manhattan, New York City |
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| Coordinates | Coordinates: 40°42′13″N 74°01′00″W / 40.7035°N 74.0168°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1808 |
| Architect | John McComb, Jr.; Jonathan Williams; U.S. War Department |
| Visitation | 2,949,231 (2004) |
| Website | Castle Clinton National Monument |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000537 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NMON | August 12, 1946 |
| Designated NYCL | November 23, 1965 |
Castle Clinton or Fort Clinton, once known as Castle Garden, is a circular sandstone fort now located in Battery Park, in Manhattan, New York City. It is perhaps best remembered as America's first immigration station (predating Ellis Island), where more than 8 million people arrived in the U.S. from 1855 to 1890. Over its active life, it has also functioned as a beer garden, exhibition hall, theater, public aquarium, and finally today as a national monument.
Castle Clinton stands approximately two blocks west of where Fort Amsterdam was built in 1626, when New York City was known by the Dutch name New Amsterdam. Construction began in 1808 and was completed in 1811. The fort, known as West Battery (sometimes Southwest Battery), was designed by architects John McComb, Jr. and Jonathan Williams. It was built on a small artificial island just off shore.
West Battery was intended to complement the three-tiered Castle Williams on Governors Island, which was East Battery, to defend New York City from British forces in the tensions that marked the run-up to the War of 1812, but it never saw action in that or any war. Subsequent landfill expanded Battery Park, and the fort was incorporated into the mainland of Manhattan Island.
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