History
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Castle Clinton was built in 1811 as a sandstone fort, one of five erected to defend New York Harbor. Originally called the Southwest Battery, it stood on a small island linked to Manhattan by a 200-foot wooden causeway and drawbridge and was renamed Castle Clinton in 1815 for New York governor DeWitt Clinton. The D-shaped fort held 28 cannons but never saw military action. In 1823 the U.S. Army gave it to New York City, and in 1824 it became Castle Garden, a fashionable amphitheater later renovated into a concert hall in 1845. In the 1850s, landfill extended Battery Park to the site. From 1855 to 1890, it served as the Emigrant Landing Depot, where eight million newcomers entered the United States. In 1896 it became the New York City Aquarium, which remained open until 1941. Designated a National Monument in 1946, it was restored to its original appearance as a stone fort and now serves as a National Park Service visitor center.
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