6. Jeffery’s Hook

Jeffery’s Hook, which is most well known for the little red lighthouse, was the site of a gun battery during the Revolutionary War. The original promontory that gave its name to the Hook is no longer visible due to the work of Robert Moses who evened out the coastline with landfill.

Chevaux de frise are obstacles composed of barbed wire or spikes attached to wooden frames, used to block enemy advancement. Under the direction of General Israel Putnum, American ships were sunk in a line across the Hudson River between Fort Washington in Manhattan and Fort Lee in New Jersey to stop the British advancement up the Hudson. In order to sink the ships they first had to be moored and weighted. To our surprise, David pointed out the hooks that were used to moor those ships in 1776:

Jeffery’s Hook was chosen as the site of the chevaux de frise  because it was the shortest point in the River. Unfortunately the barricade didn’t work and the British ships continued North up the Hudson River. It is likely that five or six of the ships are still sitting in the Hudson River, waiting for an intrepid team of divers to find them.