Admiral's Mansion, the site of the Reagan-Gorbachev 1988 Arms Summit

This article first ran on LowerManhattan.info on August 27, 2003.

A simple island, covered in trees and home to a few plain redbrick buildings, only the giant white structure at its northern tip (the air vent to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel) makes it stand out from a distance. But Governors Island is actually one of the city and nation's most important plots -- and with 22 of its 172 acres recently designated the Governors Island National Monument, it's finally getting some well-deserved recognition.

Rich in History

Governors Island is as much a core element in New York's history as any part of Lower Manhattan, having been incorporated into the New Netherland settlement around 1626, when Peter Minuit bought Manhattan from the Lenape Indians. Originally known as Nutten Island for its abundant nut trees, it earned the name "Governors Island" in the mid-17th century when Minuit's successor, Gov. Wouter Van Twiller, began collecting rents from the island for himself.

Castle Williams is the sister fort of Castle Clinton

And it is the Governors Island military remnants that distinguish the place as a sort of living time capsule. What onlookers see of the island from passing ferries and downtown piers are its northernmost 22 acres, which contain the greatest historical assets: barracks, officers' mansions, and three forts, Fort Jay, the South Battery Fort, and Castle Williams, each guarded by some of their original iron cannons.

What can't be seen from the harbor are the island's more peculiar claims to fame. For instance, the world's first attack by submarine took place on the western edge of Governors Island, when David Bushnell tried to ambush a British warship in 1776. (The attack failed.) Other curiosities include

• The legend that a secret escape tunnel links the island's Governor's Mansion to Red Hook, Brooklyn;
• The history of Castle Williams, the sister fort of Battery Park's Castle Clinton, which served as a prison for 1,500 confederate soldiers during the Civil War and, decades later, as prison to U.S. World War II recruits Walt Disney and boxer Rocky Graziano;
• Stories that the massive Liggett Hall barracks, designed by McKim, Mead, and White and once home to the entire 6th Regiment's 1,375 soldiers in the 1920s, were constructed across the center of Governors Island to prevent a public airport from being built there;
• The island's prestigious claim as launching ground for the first over-water flight, when Wilbur Wright circled the Statue of Liberty in 1909, and

• The fact that former President Ronald Reagan met here with former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to begin the end of the Cold War.

NPS guide Mark Morse opens the doors of Castle Williams

In January 2003, President George W. Bush completed the process begun by former President Bill Clinton and sold Governors Island back to the city and state of New York for one dollar. And for the first time in centuries, the public has been able to get a closer look at this haven of military history and take in its serene, grassy beauty.

The Island's Future

View of Lower Manhattan from Governors Island

"Governors Island is filled with fine architecture with great potential for reuse and new uses, and it's fundamentally a part of our history," says Roger Lang, the New York Landmarks Conservancy's director of community programs and services.

The conservancy is part of the Governors Island Alliance, a collective of several civic and state associations headed up by the Regional Plan Association, which maintains the island together with the National Parks Service (NPS) and the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC).

A tour enters 209-year-old Fort Jay

The alliance began hosting free, guided tours of New York Harbor's small, green oasis in summer 2003. The tours were immediately popular, prompting the group to extended the schedule by six weeks to November 1, and reservations quickly reached capacity.

But within the next few years, the public should have ample opportunity to visit the island on its own time as plans for the lush land come to fruition. Those plans so far have included proposals for a waterfront esplanade, hotel, amphitheater, museum, and athletic facilities, all supported by expanded public ferry service. The most likely of all plans, however, is the City Hall-backed proposal to devote part of the island to a new City University of New York campus.

"Governors Island has enormous potential for New York City, and it's perfect for many of the things that have been proposed for it," says Lang. "It's not right for a casino or a 2,000 foot antenna. But it is a refreshingly different setting with elegant scenery that makes a good setting for a conference center and a large public park.

Tree-lined Colonel's Row conjures memories of New England towns

The alliance and NPS are working towards a formal set of plans for the island to be presented to city and state officials in 2006. Until then, the groups encourage public involvement to help shape the future of Governors Island.

For updates on plans and proposals currently on the table, or to learn how to get involved, visit www.governorsislandnationalmonument.org. 

After a winter hiatus, public tours of Governors Islandwill again be offered beginning in June 2004. Details about ferry service and ticketing will be available soon at www.nps.gov/gois.