Constitution Island in Orange County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Intended as the west curtain of the never-completed Fort Constitution, “the . . . battery is a straight line constructed by Mr. Romans, at very great expense; it has fifteen embrasures, which face the river at a right angle, and can only annoy a ship in going past; the embrasures are within twelve feet of each other; the merlons on the outside are but about two feet in the face, and about seven feet deep, made of square timber covered with plank, and look very neat . . . . Upon the whole, Mr. Romans has displayed his genius at a very great expense and to very little publick advantage.”
The powder magazine, located in the northwest corner of the battery, was destroyed with the battery in October 1777. Covered by a vaulted roof of brick and stone, the magazine was constructed to ensure safety. An exterior brick screen at the doorway protected the powder from flying sparks. Inside magazines, nails and barrel hoops were normally copper, a metal less likely than iron to produce sparks accidentally from friction.
Location. 41° 24.094′ N, 73° 57.214′ W. Marker is in Constitution Island, New York, in Orange County. Click for map. Marker is on the west side of Constitution Island, at the U.S. Military Academy. Marker is in this post office area: West Point NY 10996, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. Fort Constitution Area (within shouting distance of this marker); Marine Battery (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Great Chain (about 500 feet away); Soldiers’ Huts (about 600 feet away); Revolutionary War Constitution Island (about 600 feet away); Fortress West Point (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named The Great Chain (about 700 feet away); Anna B. Warner Memorial Garden (about 700 feet away). Click for a list of all markers in Constitution Island.
Also see . . . The Revolutionary War on Constitution Island. The Constitution Island Association website. (Submitted on August 25, 2012, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.)
Categories. • Forts, Castles • War, US Revolutionary •
Credits. This page originally submitted on , by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 257 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on , by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016.