Reservation. Fort Hamilton, New York

The 20th-century modernization of New York’s Fort Hamilton.

This uncommon large-scale plan provides a detailed overview of Fort Hamilton, New York, at the beginning of the 20th century. Defensive emplacements in modern-day Brooklyn, protecting the coastal approach to Manhattan, were in place dating back to the Revolutionary War, but it wasn’t til the early 1830s that a masonry structure and full-time garrison were installed at the site. The rapid development of artillery during the 19th century ensured that constant developments were necessary and the fort was woefully outdated by the early 1900s.

The plan was issued as part of a 1902 report by the U.S. War Department requesting congressional funds to purchase additional lands in order to modernize the facility. The money was ultimately granted and a number of additional gun batteries, barracks, and storehouses were installed in the years following publication. By 1904, Fort Hamilton was the strongest link in a defensive chain protecting New York Harbor.