9. A Revolutionary War-Era Cannon Was Found Fully Loaded
This cannon was used on a British ship that sank in the East River. After an anonymous donation in 1865, it was installed at Fort Clinton in 1905 where it remained on public display until 1996 when the Central Park Conservancy brought it indoors to protect it from vandalism. In 2013, however, workers from the Central Park Conservancy, while trying to refurbish and clean the cannon, found it to be still active — fully loaded with 800 grams of live gunpowder, cotton wadding and a cannon ball. The gun powder has since been removed, and the cannon is now reinstalled in Fort Clinton, at 107th Street, close to 5th Avenue. Another military remnant that can be found on the northern end of the park is the Central Park Blockhouse, a fortification built for the War of 1812.