Fort Jay

This important example of military architecture is a dramatic reminder of the early defenses erected in New York Harbor to protect the City from invasion by sea. Like so many other early fortifications in this country, its star-shaped plan was inspired by the designs of Sebastien de Vauban, the great French military architect. The fort was completed in 1798 and named after John Jay, then Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Strengthened in 1806-1808, the massive walls, bristling with a hundred guns, helped to deter the British from attacking the City during the War of 1812. Today, it is under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard.