Fort Tompkins (1847) (Staten Island, New York)
Staten Island · New York · Civil War
History & Significance
Federal rebuilding of Forts Richmond and Tompkins began in 1847 under the federal third system of seacoast fortifications, an across-the-board program of new forts sparked by the burning of Washington, DC in the War of 1812. Fort Tompkins was named for Daniel D. Tompkins, governor of New York State in the War of 1812.
The fort was in the shape of a wide rectangle with a shallow "V" on the landward side and was unusual in having no embrasures for cannon in the main fort. A seacoast cannon battery was mounted on the roof of the seacoast front, and the rest of the fort had only musket loopholes, with a ditch on the landward sides containing tunnels to counterscarp galleries providing additional musket fire against enemies in the ditch, supplemented by a few well-placed flank howitzers.
Both forts were ready for service, though still incomplete, when the Civil War broke out in April 1861. New York City was not attacked in that war, so the fort did not see action. In the 1890s new gun batteries were built under the Endicott Program, and Fort Tompkins' role in the area's defense ceased.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Third System coastal defense fort with preserved rectangular masonry design
- Seacoast cannon battery and musket loopholes visible on structure
- Defended the Narrows and New York Harbor entrance
- Part of Gateway National Recreation Area with natural surroundings
- 19th-century American military architecture example
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Tompkins_(Staten_Island)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Wadsworth
- https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/forts/tompkins
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=21630
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Tompkins_(1)