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Governors Island
Just 500 yards off the Manhattan shore, Governors Island was designated by the New York Assembly in 1689 "for the benefit and accommodation of His Majesty's Governors." It had been known until then as Nutten Island. A series of fortifications, dating from 1794, have made it a major administrative center for the U.S. Army. During the War of 1812 its strong defenses may have deterred the British attack of New York. The Coast Guard now occupies the site. |