ISLAND ARCHIVES: A Bi-Weekly Look at Governors Island’s Picturesque Past
May 6, 2010 3:08 pm
A Matter of Taste: Transformation of the Commanding Officers House
Photo Courtesy of NPS
One of the Governors Island Historic District’s most notable and handsome buildings is the Commanding Officers House. Its statuesque white columns are a focal point in the campus-like setting of Nolan Park. The prominent building (listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places) was constructed in 1843 in the Greek Revival style by the architect of the NY Arsenal in Central Park, headquarters of the Department of Parks & Recreation. The house as it appears today was quite different in 1893 when the photo above was taken. The symetrical form of the Greek Revival was changes in 1886 by the addition of a southern wing. Within the following 20 years, further changes gave the building its Colonial Revival appearance. Orignially, in place of the imposing white columns, lattice porch posts were in place as well as ornate railings, a peaked roof and ornamental aloe plantings out front! The familiar canons and central flower bed in front of the house were also added during a1936 WPA renovation which transformed the building to more or less its current appearance.
The building changed little since the 1930s and was inhabited continually by the highest ranking Army and Coast Guard personnel on the Island. The interior today is much as it was throughout the 20th century, though the furnishings have changed with the tastes of dozens of commanders and their families. 
Images Courtsey of the Library of Congress