Fort Jay

Fort Jay
Fort Columbus
Part of Governors Island
New York County, New York, United States
TypeFortification
Site information
OwnerPublic - National Park Service
Controlled byUnited States of America
Open to
the public
Yes
Fort Jay
Fort Jay is located in New York City
Fort Jay
Fort Jay is located in New York
Fort Jay
Fort Jay is located in the United States
Fort Jay
Coordinates40°41′28.89″N 74°0′57.63″W / 40.6913583°N 74.0160083°W / 40.6913583; -74.0160083
Visitation126,000 (2008)
NRHP reference No.74001268
NYCL No.0543
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 27, 1974[1]
Designated NYCLSeptember 19, 1967
ConditionGood
Site history
Built1794, 1806, 1833
Built byU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jonathan Williams
In use1794-1997
MaterialsSandstone, Granite, Brick

Fort Jay is a coastal bastion fort and the name of a former United States Army post on Governors Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. Fort Jay is the oldest existing defensive structure on the island, and was named for John Jay, a member of the Federalist Party, New York governor, Chief Justice of the United States, Secretary of State, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. It was built in 1794 to defend Upper New York Bay, but has served other purposes. From 1806 to 1904 it was named Fort Columbus, presumably for explorer Christopher Columbus. Today, the National Park Service administers Fort Jay and Castle Williams as the Governors Island National Monument.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.