National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory 2003 Governors Island Governors Island National Monument Table of Contents Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Concurrence Status Geographic Information and Location Map Management Information National Register Information Chronology & Physical History Analysis & Evaluation of Integrity Condition Treatment Bibliography & Supplemental Information Governors Island Governors Island National Monument Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Inventory Summary The Cultural Landscapes Inventory Overview: CLI General Information: Purpose and Goals of the CLI The Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI), a comprehensive inventory of all cultural landscapes in the national park system, is one of the most ambitious initiatives of the National Park Service (NPS) Park Cultural Landscapes Program. The CLI is an evaluated inventory of all landscapes having historical significance that are listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or are otherwise managed as cultural resources through a public planning process and in which the NPS has or plans to acquire any legal interest. The CLI identifies and documents each landscape’s location, size, physical development, condition, landscape characteristics, character-defining features, as well as other valuable information useful to park management. Cultural landscapes become approved CLIs when concurrence with the findings is obtained from the park superintendent and all required data fields are entered into a national database. In addition, for landscapes that are not currently listed on the National Register and/or do not have adequate documentation, concurrence is required from the State Historic Preservation Officer or the Keeper of the National Register. The CLI, like the List of Classified Structures, assists the NPS in its efforts to fulfill the identification and management requirements associated with Section 110(a) of the National Historic Preservation Act, National Park Service Management Policies (2006), and Director’s Order #28: Cultural Resource Management. Since launching the CLI nationwide, the NPS, in response to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), is required to report information that respond to NPS strategic plan accomplishments. Two GPRA goals are associated with the CLI: bringing certified cultural landscapes into good condition (Goal 1a7) and increasing the number of CLI records that have complete, accurate, and reliable information (Goal 1b2B). Scope of the CLI The information contained within the CLI is gathered from existing secondary sources found in park libraries and archives and at NPS regional offices and centers, as well as through on-site reconnaissance of the existing landscape. The baseline information collected provides a comprehensive look at the historical development and significance of the landscape, placing it in context of the site’s overall significance. Documentation and analysis of the existing landscape identifies character-defining characteristics and features, and allows for an evaluation of the landscape’s overall integrity and an assessment of the landscape’s overall condition. The CLI also provides an illustrative site plan that indicates major features within the inventory unit. Unlike cultural landscape reports, the CLI does not provide management recommendations or Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 1 of 75 Governors Island Governors Island National Monument treatment guidelines for the cultural landscape. Inventory Unit Description: Governors Island National Monument is a 22.78-acre parcel containing Fort Jay and Castle Williams, two fortifications that represent components of late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century American harbor defense systems. The National Monument, authorized in 2001, resides on Governors Island, a 172-acre island located one-half mile southeast of Manhattan in New York harbor. The National Monument sits within a 121-acre National Historic Landmark District (NHL district) that is also designated a New York City Historic District (designated on June 18, 1996). The National Monument contains two historic forts, Fort Jay and Castle Williams, a former arsenal storehouse now called Building 107, four contemporary buildings, several acres of the Fort Jay parade ground, dock 102, and an easement in the historic Building 140. Along with the two forts, the parade ground's expansive, slightly sloped lawn dominates the National Monument landscape. The perimeter of the National Monument is largely ringed with mature shade trees. Small-scale features and vegetation exist throughout the National Monument dating to the army, and later coast guard's, administrative tenure on the island. The Governors Island National Historic Landmark District is characterized by open space, mature trees, and numerous historic resources including Fort Jay, Castle Williams, and South Battery defensive works. Fort Jay, a star shaped fort, was the initial coastal fortification on the island and has seen numerous improvements since its initial construction in 1794. Mowed lawn surrounds Fort Jay and its associated elements, including a dry moat and glacis (earth mounded outside the moat, sloped to deflect incoming artillery over the fort). Castle Williams and South Battery are the other defensive elements that completed Governors Island's fortifications and contribute to the NHL district. These too, were once surrounded by open lawn for visibility and ease of firing, but their historic spatial organization and the relationship between all three fortifications has been compromised by later developments. Nolan Park and Colonel's Row Park are pleasant residential spaces within the historic district and are characterized by organized tree plantings, consistent building set-backs, and uniform architectural styles. These areas also contribute to Governors Island's long administrative history. The NHL district, established in 1985, encompasses the northern 121 acres of the island, including the approximately twenty-two-acre National Monument. The period of significance for the NHL district is 1794-1966 pertaining to the district's resources that represent a system of American harbor defenses, and also for its long history as a major army administrative center. The NHL nomination form lists the period of significance as 1794-present. However, the supporting narrative describes the period as ending in 1966. Also, the Presidential Proclimation of 2003 that establishes the National Monument implies an end date of 1966, as the text focusses on the activities of the United States Army. For purposes of this inventory, the CLI concurs with the 1966 end date. The overall period of significance should be clarified in a Historic Resource Study or an updated NHL nomination. Both Fort Jay and Castle Williams contribute greatly to the significance of the Monument and the District and are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the areas of architecture and military history. Native Americans of the Manhattan area, who were a sub-group of the Munsee Delaware tribe, originally used Pagganack, what was later known as Governors Island, as a seasonal fishing camp. The Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 2 of 75 Governors Island Governors Island National Monument island was transferred to the Dutch colonial governor of New Amsterdam, Wouter Van Twiller, in 1637. Van Twiller and his successors, both Dutch and British, used the island as a country retreat, taking advantage of its close proximity to Manhattan. The island's strategic value was realized during the French and Indian war in 1755, when British soldiers became the first military troops stationed on the island. The first substantial defensive elements were constructed at the beginning of the American Revolution when colonial soldiers erected earthen fortifications to fend off British attack. Their efforts were in vain, for the British won control of the island and occupied it for the remainder of the conflict. From this point onward, Governors Island served almost continuously as a military installation. After the war, Governors Island was briefly abandoned, only to be reinstated as a component of the First System of New York harbor defenses in 1794. The First System, funded by the federal government, executed the construction of fortifications along the eastern seaboard. Fort Jay was constructed on the ruins of Governors Island's former fortifications, largely from earth and vegetative materials. It stood on the highest point of the island, approximately in the center, and commanded sweeping views of the harbor after many trees were cleared. Later improvements, ordered by congress during the Second System of harbor defenses in the early 1800s, resulted in the reconstruction and strengthening of Fort Jay, and the construction of a new all-masonry circular fort, Castle Williams. These two forts worked in conjunction with South Battery, constructed prior to the War of 1812 on the east side of Governors Island, Castle Clinton off the southern tip of Manhattan, and Fort Wood, which is now the base of the Statue of Liberty, to provide strategic coverage of the upper New York Harbor. Governors Island continued to grow, housing more personnel, military stores, and expanded military functions as the nineteenth century progressed. By the mid 1800s, since the forts were no longer necessary as active defensive posts due to advances in military technology, the army began to construct buildings on the formerly open lawn