Fortress West Point

Fortress West Point (1778-1883) - First established in 1778 by general George Washington in Orange County and Putnam County, New York. Garrisoned through the end of the Revolutionary War. Designated the headquarters of the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the United States Military Academy in 1802.

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

Established in 1778 by General George Washington at the strategic "S" curve in the Hudson River at West Point and across the river at Constitution Island. The loss of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton (1) on 6 Oct 1777 forced construction of a large number of new fortifications that provided support to each other and could block any enemy attempt to get past West point. A massive iron chain was built to block the Hudson River and strung between West Point and Constitution Island. Batteries, Forts and Redoubts were built to provide protection for this chain and firepower to sink any approaching enemy ships. Three concentric rings of defenses were constructed to protect the river batteries from land attack and bombardment. These fortifications were garrisoned through the end of the Revolutionary War.

In 1802 the military reservation was designated the headquarters of the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the United States Military Academy.

Current Status

Part of United States Military Academy, Active Military Installation, Orange County, New York. Fort Putnam has been restored and is open for tours conducted through the Visitor Center.

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Location: Active Military Installation, Orange County, New York.

Maps & Images

Lat: 41.392700 Long: -73.958400

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 590-592

Links:

North American Forts - Fort Fortress West Point

Visited: 6 May 2012