Fort Tyler (East Hampton, New York)

East Hampton · New York · Spanish-American War

Quick BriefCongress appropriated $500,000 during the Spanish-American War to build Fort Tyler on Gardiners Point Island as part of the Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound. The fort was completed by 1898, but never received armament or a garrison. During World War II, the former fort was used for target practice and was reduced to its present state of ruin.

Endicott SystemCoastal defense

History & Significance

In April 1898, the site of the former lighthouse on Gardiners Point Island was transferred to the War Department, and Congress appropriated $500,000 to build Fort Tyler as part of the Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound. A temporary battery was constructed at a cost of $77,100, consisting of emplacements for two 8-inch M1888 guns on converted carriages.

The permanent fort consisted of Battery Edmund Smith, with emplacements for two 8-inch M1888 disappearing guns and two 5-inch M1900 guns on pedestal mounts. The fort was officially named in General Order 194 of 27 December 1904, with historical sources offering two accounts of its namesake—either General Daniel Tyler, a Civil War veteran, or President John Tyler, who married Julia Gardiner of Gardiners Island.

The fort was completed by 1898 but was never assigned armament or garrison troops. In 1902, after the war ended, the fort was "seized" by U.S. Naval forces in a war game with the U.S. Army.

The fort was closed in the late 1920s, abandoned due to erosion and rising seas. In 1938, Gardiners Point Island was declared a National Wildlife Refuge and transferred to the Agriculture Department by Executive Order 7941 of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During World War II, the fort was used for bombing practice, which combined with erosion reduced it to its present ruined state.