7. Fort Wadsworth
After being transferred over to the NPS from the US Navy in 1995, Fort Wadsworth held out for about three centuries as one of the longest-serving military installations in the United States. Records suggest that the first uses of the land for military purposes were in the mid-1600s, around when New York was first settled by the Dutch. It was properly used as a fortress for the first time during the American Revolution, continuously being garrisoned and maintained through each passing decade.
Located in Staten Island just under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the fort majestically overlooks the entrance to New York Harbor. The United States Coast Guard and Army Reserve have headquarters in Fort Wadsworth, so the property itself is well maintained and preserved. As you walk along the paved roads, you’ll find plenty of signage along the way with historical facts about each structure on the property. The NPS offers ranger-led tours of the fort for visitors who want to go into more detail about each and every structure.
Next, read about 20 abandoned places in NYC: asylums, hospitals, power plants, islands, forts!
