Fort Schuyler (Bronx, New York)
Bronx · New York · Civil War
History & Significance
Fort Schuyler was named in honor of Major General Philip Schuyler of the Continental Army. It was one of many forts built along the east coast under the third system of US fortifications in the aftermath of the War of 1812.
A tract of 52 acres was purchased by the Federal Government from William Bayard in 1826 and construction began in 1833. Located on Throggs Neck, the southeastern tip of the Bronx, where the East River meets Long Island Sound, the fort exemplified French military engineering: built of granite brought from Greenwich, Connecticut in an irregular pentagon, it is said to have been the finest example in the United States of the French type of fortification for both sea and land defense.
At its peak, the fort boasted 312 guns and could accommodate a garrison of 1,250 men. During the Civil War, Fort Schuyler held as many as 500 prisoners of war from the Confederate States Army and military convicts from the Union Army, and included the McDougall Hospital with a capacity of 2,000 beds.
Units trained at the fort before heading to combat included the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry "Duryee's Zouaves", the First California Regiment under Colonel Edward Dickinson Baker, and the 69th and 88th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiments (the Irish Brigade). In the late 1920s, Fort Schuyler was placed on the abandoned list by the U.S. Army and targeted for acquisition by Robert Moses for conversion to a state park, but eventually the New York State Merchant Marine Academy's proposal prevailed. The site was transferred to the state in 1934 during the Great Depression, then rehabilitated by the Works Progress Administration and dedicated to the school in 1938.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 19th-century star fort with multi-tiered cannon positions overlooking Long Island Sound
- Civil War-era prisoner of war and hospital facility
- Maritime industry and coastal defense exhibits
- Home to SUNY Maritime College
- Waterfront location with views of New York City and the Sound
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Schuyler
- https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/forts/schuyler
- https://www.sunymaritime.edu/about-suny-maritimehistory/fort-schuyler-history
- https://sunymaritime.libguides.com/c.php?g=70199&p=9208960
- https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ny0096.photos?st=list
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=193307