Castle Clinton National Memorial

Castle Clinton National Memorial is undergoing a renovation with “new capping of the wall, negative drainage corrections, stabilization, restoration, and conservation treatment of the historic and irreplaceable cultural structure.” We toured the grounds, got my stamp from the wonderful park rangers (and I also scored the stamps for Federal Hall, Governor’s Island, and Stonewall as I will visit all of those units this trip.). One Ranger enthusiastically informed me that I have 342 units to go which I find very exciting. Then we boarded our ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island!

“The Castle Clinton National Monument was constructed in 1811, placed 200 feet offshore of the Southern tip of Manhattan, NY as the Southwest Battery. While the structure was originally created to prevent a British invasion in 1812, the fortification has served many purposes over the past two centuries including an entertainment center, an immigration depot, the New York City Aquarium, and now a widely visited National Monument.

The historic structure has experienced many renovations since its original creation, though it retains its original exterior walls constructed of porous Newark sandstone. Since its construction, significant water intrusion in the stone has been detected; ground water penetration has caused deterioration that combined with exposure to the elements and environmental pollutants has degraded the stone facing and caused instability.”