Governors Island National Monument

Governors Island is a 172-acre (70 ha) island in New York Harbor, within the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately 800 yards (732 m) south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the 400-yard-wide (370 m) Buttermilk Channel. The National Park Service administers a small portion of the north end of the island as the Governors Island National Monument, including two former military fortifications named Fort Jay and Castle Williams. The Trust for Governors Island operates the remaining 150 acres (61 ha), including 52 historic buildings, as a public park. About 103 acres (42 ha) of the land area is fill, added in the early 1900s to the south of the original island. The native Lenape originally referred to Governors Island as Paggank ("nut island") because of the area's rich collection of chestnut, hickory, and oak trees, and because it is believed that this space was originally used for seasonal foraging and hunting. The name was translated into the Dutch Noten Eylandt, then Anglicized into Nutten Island, before being renamed Governor's Island by the late 18th century. The island's use as a military installation dates to 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, when Continental Army troops raised defensive works on the island. From 1783 to 1966, the island was a United States Army post, serving mainly as a training ground for troops, though it also served as a strategic defense point during wartime. The island then served as a major United States Coast Guard installation until 1996. Following its decommissioning as a military base, there were several plans for redeveloping Governors Island. It was sold to the public for a nominal sum in 2003, and opened for public use in 2005. Governors Island has become a popular destination for the public, attracting more than 800,000 visitors per year as of 2018. In addition to the 43-acre (17 ha) public park, Governors Island includes free arts and cultural events, as well as recreational activities. The New York Harbor School, a public high school with a maritime-focused curriculum, has been on the island since 2010. The island can only be accessed by ferries from Brooklyn and Manhattan. Until 2021, the island was only accessible to the public during the summer.

Governors Island Golf Course was a military course on Governors Island in New York Harbor, New York City, approximately 800 yards (732 m) from the southern tip of Manhattan Island. The golf course offered one of the most unique golf experiences in New York City due to its views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan skylines, with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop. It was considered the only golf course in Manhattan as Governors Island is technically part of the borough. The golf course closed in 1996 but was re-opened for a one-time golf tournament in 2006.

Fort Jay is a coastal bastion fort and the name of a former United States Army post on Governors Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. Fort Jay is the oldest existing defensive structure on the island, and was named for John Jay, a member of the Federalist Party, New York governor, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Secretary of State, and one of the founding fathers of the United States. It was built in 1794 to defend Upper New York Bay, but has served other purposes. From 1806 to 1904 it was named Fort Columbus, presumably for explorer Christopher Columbus. Today, the National Park Service administers Fort Jay and Castle Williams as the Governors Island National Monument.

Play:ground NYC is a non-profit adventure playground that has operated on Governors Island in New York City since 2016 and advocates for access to space for free play.

The Governor's House, also known as Building 2, is a historic house on Governors Island in New York City. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Governor's House was built c. 1805–1813, during the War of 1812 and was originally known as the Guard House. It is the oldest structure on the island that is not a fortification, but contrary to popular misconception, is not the Colonial Governor's Mansion, which was built in 1702. Building 2 was commanding officers' quarters between 1822 and 1843, then was used the main guard house and post commanding officers' quarters until the 1920s. The building was then used as officers' quarters by 1922. A brick annex was built to the south in 1939.The Governor's House is a two-story Georgian brick structure. The footprint is similar to a Greek Cross, and the gable roof projections, covered with asphalt, intersect at the center of the "cross". The entrance portico contains Ionic columns under an entablature, with a paneled wooden door behind a transom, and is accessed by a concrete-upon-brick stoop. At the entrance portico above the second story is a small lunette window. The windows around the house are six-over-six, double-hung, with brownstone windowsills. The east-side annex has a Colonial Revival doorway and cast stone sills.

Liggett Hall, also known as Building 400 is a former barracks building designed by McKim, Mead & White and built in 1929 near Fort Jay on Governors Island in New York Harbor, in New York City. The Georgian Revival building is three to 4+1⁄2 stories tall and measures 1,023 feet (312 m) long.

The Admiral's House is a historic building located in the Nolan Park area of Governors Island in New York Harbor. It was originally designed by Martin E. Thompson in the Greek Revival style, and completed in 1843. The Admiral's House is both on the National Register of Historic Places and a New York City designated landmark.

The Block House, also known as Building 9 and the Governors Island Post Hospital, is a brick building in the Nolan Park area of Governors Island in New York Harbor, New York City. Its name is due to its early use as a prison. Ulysses S. Grant was briefly stationed there early in his military career. Building 9 was constructed in 1839 in the Greek Revival style and was initially used as the Post Hospital. The roof of the building was originally flat, but was replaced with a hip roof in 1864 because the flat roof would leak. Ten years later, two wings for patient wards were built because the original structure was so poorly ventilated. In 1878–1879, Building 9 was converted to offices for the Military Division of the Atlantic and the Department of the East. The building was used for various Army commands until the 20th century, and by 1947, the structure was converted to four sets of officers' quarters.Building 9 is two-stories with a red-brick facade, raised above a high schist basement. Brick paths lead from Nolan Park to the front entrance. The entrance is surrounded with granite around pedimented wood, which in turn enclosed a paneled wood door. There is a wrought-iron balcony immediately above the front entrance; the back formerly had a similar entrance design, which is now a window. The windows are six-over-six and contain granite lintels and window sills.

Castle Williams is a circular fortification of red sandstone on the northwest point of Governors Island, part of a system of forts designed and constructed in the early 19th century to protect New York City from naval attack. It is a prominent landmark in New York Harbor. Together with Fort Jay, it is managed by the National Park Service as part of Governors Island National Monument.

The School of Practice (School of Practice for U.S.A. Field Musicians) at Fort Columbus, Governors Island, in New York Harbor was the United States Army's institute for musical training before and during the American Civil War. Much of the historical documentation of the School comes from Ten Years in the Ranks, U.S. Army, a book written by Augustus Meyers after enlisting at age twelve in the 1850s. The first part deals with the School of Practice. The official training guide, adopted by the War Department, was George G. Bruce's The Drummers and Fife Guide, which was used until the end of the Civil War.

The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, also called the Harbor School, is a public high school located on Governors Island. This school is unique in New York City, which has 538 miles (866 km) of waterfront, in that it attempts to relate every aspect of its curriculum to the water. The school is part of the Urban Assembly network of 21 college-prep schools in New York City.A stated focus of the school is to continue to work with organizations such as Waterkeeper Alliance and the Governors Island Alliance to ensure the improvement and restoration of New York City's harbor.

Buttermilk Channel is a small tidal strait in Upper New York Bay in New York City, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 0.25 miles (0.40 km) wide, separating Governors Island from Brooklyn. The channel is marked by a number of navigation aids (green cans no. 5 and 7 at the northeast entrance, and green gong no. 1, marking low water off the tip of Governors Island). Tidal currents on the channel are rather strong.