Governors Island is New York's birthplace: the first European settlement when the Dutch established New Amsterdam in 1624. In 1776, Patriot cannons on the island helped General Washington preserve his battered army. After the revolution, the island was given at no cost to the Federal Government to provide for the defense of our fledgling nation. Star-shaped Fort Jay was completed by 1807 and Castle Williams, a massive, three-tiered masonry fort completed in 1811. These two forts helped New York escape the fiery fate of Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812. During its 200-year history as an important military base, Ulysses Grant, Confederate prisoners, Wilbur Wright, World War I doughboys, Samuel Morse, Soviet President Gorbachev and even Rocky Graziano all had their moment on the island. Generations of Army and Coast Guard kids were born and raised on the island: a self-contained small town thriving in the shadow of skyscrapers. This history is palpable when one walks in the 93-acre National Landmark and City Historic District. Lined with hundred-year-old shade trees and surrounded by spectacular views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, the historic district features 19th century Federal and Victorian-style buildings and green, manicured grounds.In January 2003, the Federal Government announced the transfer of the 172-acre island to the City and State of New York and the National Park Service, concluding two centuries of restricted military use on the island. Twenty-two acres, including the two forts, constitute New York's newest National Park, Governors Island National Monument. The other 150 acres are owned by the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC). Working with GIPEC, the Park Service and our elected officials, the Alliance seeks to ensure that parks and open spaces and historic preservation are primary goals in the final plans and proposals - and that there is funding to make these plans happen. Download an aerial view of Governors Island (PDF 1 MB)