Posted on 12/19/2005 7:34:50 PM PST by Pharmboy
Cary Conover for The New York Times
A 45-foot segment of cut and mortared stones, which
archaeologists say was either a Colonial-era battery wall
that protected European settlements in the south end of
Manhattan or a piece of a fort that replaced Fort
Amsterdam. Workers unearthed the wall last month while
digging a subway tunnel in Battery Park.
First came the excitement over the discovery of a Colonial-era fortification in Battery Park. Now it's decision time: What should the New York City do with this massive relic?
City officials have conceded that the thick stone wall, which sits about nine feet below street level and perpendicular to the path of a planned subway tunnel, is too historically significant to cart off to a landfill. Archaeologists believe it was built at least 240 years ago and was either part of the battery wall that protected European settlements at the south end of Manhattan or a piece of one of the forts that replaced Fort Amsterdam.
snip...
...the transportation authority has asked her firm to take two weeks to document the current state of the wall in enough detail so that it can be taken apart and reconstructed. Still, she said it would probably require three.
snip...
Mr. Benepe said the wall extends beyond the edges of the trench dug by construction crews on the eastern side of Battery Park, but only the 45-foot-long segment that has been uncovered will be removed. His preference, he said, is for that section to be rebuilt in the park after the trench is filled.
"We will move the wall out of harm's way in such a way that it can be reinstalled, preferably in the park in a location as close as possible to its current site," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I remember seeing a documentary about the Greek subway system that was put in for the Olympics. They ran into historic relics, like, every two feet.
The Washington Family Coat of Arms
Freepmail me to get ON or OFF this RevWar/Colonial History/Gen. Washington ping list
Manhattan was the scene of sveral great revolutionary war battles, valiently fought by our heros of the revolution. Funny to thing of that area with fences, yards and even fields.
They should number the stones, remove them and reassemble them somewhere on Wall Street (since that street was named for the wall built by the Dutch for protection from the Native Americans).
bttt
Their plan is to try and place it close to where it originally stood (it was likely part of a battery rather than part of the original fort).
Well, the milita (mainly from CT) didn't do too well when the Hessians came into Kips Bay. However, they did do well during The Battle of Harlem Heights a bit later on (Gen. Washington was ecstatic at their showing that day).
Yup...that's the spot as you describe it.
Interesting article. Do hope they will save the wall.
Several of my 9th, 8th, & 7th great grandparents lived
in that area of New Amsterdam in the 1600s & 1700s
the earlier topic (of which this is an update), just to make myself semi-useful.
Found: Old Wall in New York, and It's Blocking the Subway
NY Times | December 8, 2005 | PATRICK McGEEHAN
Posted on 12/08/2005 3:09:12 AM PST by Pharmboy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1536247/posts
with re-intro of wolves into the West, ranchers are rumored to have adopted a policy of "shoot..shovel..shutup" in dealing with the nature of wolves vis stock.
A different shoot here, having occurred more than a century ago, contractors in Northern Virginia are apparently good to go and corporately versed with "shovel and shutup"..with a wink-n-node of course. Especially in the Manassas-Centreville area.
As for construction related discoveries, Gub'ment should keep secrets as well as developers...
See the workman's name, Conover?
Well that is an Americanized version of the old NY Dutch name, Von Cowenhoven, which is one of my family names.
So...that is a very appropriate name to read in connection to this story!!
Yes...you bring up an interesting point about the names. When the English took over New Amsterdam in 1664, many of the descendants of the Dutch and French Walloons who originally settled there in 1626 did indeed Anglicize their names.
You lived in a hole?
Yes, the NY-settling French Walloons are also in my family. Thanks for mentioning them, also. It was just too perfect to see that Conover name with the story!
Most people (even those interested in NYC history) are not aware that the first few years after Niew Amsterdam was settled (1626), the most common language spoken there was...French! More Walloons than Dutch to begin with...it quickly changed to Dutch, but by 1642 there 18 languages spoken on the island.
I'm not sure I knew that. American history is so fascinating, but the colonial period especially so!
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