Fort Michie

Fort Michie
Part of Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound
Great Gull Island, Southold, New York
Fort Michie Location in New York
Coordinates	41°12′08″N 72°07′07″W / 41.20222°N 72.11861°W / 41.20222; -72.11861
Type	Coastal Defense
Site information
Owner	American Museum of Natural History
Controlled by	private
Open to the public	by appointment
Site history
Built	1897-1908
Built by	United States Army
In use	1900-1946
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Garrison information
Garrison	11th Coast Artillery Regiment

Fort Michie was a United States Army coastal defense site on Great Gull Island, New York. Along with Fort H. G. Wright, Fort Terry, and Camp Hero, it defended the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound as part of the Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound, thus defending Connecticut's ports and the north shore of Long Island.

The fort was named after First Lieutenant Dennis Michie, who was killed at San Juan Hill during the Spanish–American War. Michie is also known for being the first person to bring football to the United States Military Academy by organizing the first Army-Navy game, where the football stadium is also named after him.

The fort was first developed at the turn of the 20th century and was active in World War I and World War II. After World War II it was deactivated as a coast defense fort. Since the 1950s the island has been used by the American Museum of Natural History to study migratory terns.

Fort Michie was built as part of the large-scale Endicott Program, which recommended a comprehensive replacement of existing coast defenses. The forts were designed and built by the Army Corps of Engineers, the weapons were designed by the Army Ordnance Corps, and the forts were (by 1907) garrisoned by the Coast Artillery Corps. Construction of gun batteries at Fort Michie began in 1897. By 1908 the following batteries were completed: