ISLAND ARCHIVES: A Bi-Weekly Look at Governors Islands Picturesque Past

Jun 3, 2010 6:15 pm

The South Battery: The Island’s other fort

Photo Courtesy of Matthew Jensen, LMCC artist in residence

One of the Island’s most evolving buildings, the South Battery or Half Moon Battery was constructed prior to 1812 to serve as a key component of the harbor defense system along with Fort Jay and Castle Williams. Only the arrow shaped fortifcation walls remain. So haphazard and dramatic have been the alterations to the building within the battery walls that you’ll find the then and now images all but unrecognizable. The building as seen today was used as the Island’s Officers’ Club starting in the 1930s but this function with its grand dining room and ballroom was built atop layers of other structures and uses including barracks, officers’ mess hall, catholic chapel and, in the 1950s, a school for young Army field musicians.

Photo Courtesy of NPS

So many additions and grade changes were made to the building over the years that in order to capture this view of the cannons on the parapet one would have to stand inside the officers bar room and shoot through the WPA mural seen below. Yup, that’s taken from the same location!

Because of the many additions to the building, this view of the courtyard showing the officers club house is also barely recognizable as seen in the images below.