Castle Williams

Cas­tle Williams is a cir­cu­lar defen­sive work of red sand­stone on the west point of Gov­er­nors Island in New York Har­bor. It was designed and erect­ed between 1807 and 1811, designed by the Chief Engi­neer of the US Army Corps of Engi­neers, Lt. Col. Jonathan Williams, for whom the fort is named, and con­sid­ered a pro­to­type for new forms of coastal for­ti­fi­ca­tion. The cas­tle was one com­po­nent of a larg­er defen­sive sys­tem for the inner harbor.