Fort Slocum (2)

Fort Slocum (2) (1896-1965) - Fort Slocum was a U.S. Army post occupying Davids’ Island in Long Island Sound from 1 Jul 1896 to 30 Nov 1965. It was named after Henry W. Slocum a distinguished U.S. Civil War veteran. Davids’ Island had been occupied by the U.S. Army, though not continuously, from 1861 until it was designated Fort Slocum in 1896. During the Civil War, and until Dec 1866, it was known as DeCamp General Hospital; after that, it was Davids’ Island Military Reservation. After the Army abandoned it for the last time in 1965, it has been known simply as Davids’ Island.
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Current Status

After the Army left, the island changed hands several times among those interested in developing it. These parties included the Job Corps of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, the City of New Rochelle (several times), Con Edison (which wanted to build a nuclear power plant there), a development group from Honolulu (which wanted to build an exclusive high rise community there), and most recently Donald Trump (who wanted to rename it Trump Island and build a Trump Tower there which would have been visible from Manhattan). Development plans consistently were thwarted, mainly by the inability to build a bridge which would provide ready access to the island. In the meantime, a series of arson fires, particularly the Great Fire of 21 April 1982, destroyed most of the buildings. Wooden building were destroyed; brick buildings left shells; those not burned were tumbling down. The island became sort of an Eastern ghost town (though it was still possible to walk the island and to recognize most of the remnants). In 2004 Congresswoman Nita Lowey provided an ongoing stream of federal money for the abatement of environmental hazards. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was charged with this abatement; which culminated, at the command of the current property owner, the City of New Rochelle, in Dec. 2007, to destroy almost all that remained. As a result most of the remains were demolished in 2008, culminating with the destruction of the iconic 1929 water tower on 9 Sept.

As a result all that remains to mark the U. S. Army’s more than a century-long tenure at Davids’ Island Military Reservation/Fort Slocum, is the road system; a 1914 flagpole; some lampposts, fire hydrants, and garbage shelters (deemed not worth destroying); the 15” Rodman gun display; and the mortar batteries and Battery Practice (which were deemed too difficult to destroy). (In fact the direct fire batteries had been destroyed in the 1930’s to build barracks, and one of the four mortar pits was destroyed in WWII to build a small arms range.) From 2008, for the first time since before the Civil War, there is nothing visible from shore that would indicate that Davids’ Island was ever inhabited, by the Army or anyone else. Although technically the island is not posted, it is forbidden by the City to visit without special permission (and its Harbor Patrol will enforce this prohibition); though there has been some discussion that it may be sold to Westchester County for use as a park.

If and when that happens it will be possible for the public to walk the site, though there will be almost nothing to indicate its colorful history. This is in contrast to various other abandoned forts, such as Ft. Worden (and the nearby coast artillery batteries), or Vancouver Barracks or Madison Barracks or Ft. Adams or Governors’ Island which have been preserved substantially while at the same time they have been converted to other uses. On the other hand, because the demolition was part of a public process (rather than left to the whims of private developers) there has been considerable documentation, including archaeological digs, extensive photography, and GPS positioning; so that some of the history has been preserved even as the site has been destroyed.

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Location: David's Island, Long Island Sound, New York Maps & Images Lat: 40.892429 Long: -73.766413 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: '

Sources:

• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 580
• Wikipedia
• CDSG Fort Slocum

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Category;Coastal Fort