“Five, four, three, two…” The ghostly whispers seem to emanate from the very stones of Battery Duane. Here at Fort Wadsworth, history isn’t just something you read in books. It’s a tangible presence, a whisper on the wind. Battery Duane itself is a testament to a bygone era of coastal defense, a time when the looming threat of naval warfare spurred the construction of formidable fortresses like this one. Built between 1895 and 1896, Battery Duane stood as a silent sentinel, its five powerful 8-inch M1888 guns poised to protect New York Harbor. Imagine the ground trembling beneath your feet as those guns roared to life, the air thick with smoke and the smell of gunpowder. These weren’t just any guns. They were mounted on Buffington-Crozier disappearing carriages, marvels of engineering that allowed the guns to be loaded out of sight, behind the battery walls, only to rise majestically when fired and disappear again in a cloud of smoke. Battery Duane, though now in ruins and closed to the public, still speaks to us. It whispers of a time when the world held its breath, waiting to see if these imposing defenses would be put to the ultimate test.
Gould Family Mausoleum
Ever heard of a “Robber Baron?” Here at Woodlawn Cemetery stands the Gould Family Mausoleum. It is a testament to