Fort Clinton (West Point)

Fort Clinton
Part of United States Military Academy
West Point, New York
Remaining earthworks of Fort Clinton (formerly Fort Arnold), with Kosciuszko's Monument in background
Coordinates	41°23′39.42″N 73°57′9.36″W / 41.3942833°N 73.9526000°W / 41.3942833; -73.9526000
Site information
Owner	United States Army
Controlled by	US Army
Open to the public	Year round
Condition	mostly demolished
Site history
Built	1778-1780
Built by	de La Radiere and Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Battles/wars	Revolutionary War
Garrison information
Garrison	West Point

Fort Clinton was the main defensive garrison of the Revolutionary War defense network at West Point. Commanded by and named after Benedict Arnold before his betrayal of the Revolutionary Army and defection to the British, it was later renamed after General James Clinton. Construction was begun under Captain Louis de la Radiere, and completed under the command of Tadeusz Kosciuszko between 1778–1780; it was the key defensive fort, overlooking the turn in the Hudson River and the Great Chain. After the war, the remains of Fort Clinton fell into disrepair and were eventually demolished to make way for the expansion of the United States Military Academy, founded at the garrison in 1802. Today, all that remains of the fort are some earthworks and stone base structures, easily seen off of Thayer Road as it rounds the plain and the soccer fields at West Point.

In 1778, Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam wrote, "The place agreed upon to obstruct the navigation of Hudson river was at West Point." "As the governor's brother, Col. James Clinton, and his brigade would build the main fort, it was to be named after him." The southern and western walls were nine feet high and twenty feet thick. Three redoubts and batteries on the south were named Forts Meigs, Wyllys and Webb.

Map of West Point defenses 1780 showing Fort Clinton

View of the remaining wall from Kosciuszko's Monument

Sherburne Redoubt

Fort Clinton and the Great Chain