Battery Weed

Battery Weed

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Staten Island, NY

Battery Weed bears the name of Stephen Weed, a native New Yorker who was killed in action at the battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Construction on Battery Weed began in 1847 and was completed in 1861. An enemy ship attempting to enter New York Harbor would have come under fire from 116 10-inch Rodman guns mounted on the fort. Despite this formidable arsenal, Battery Weed was almost immediately obsolete due to advances in military technology.

Rifled guns and exploding shells were the order of the day, and masonry structures, even if those made of a durable material like Battery Weed’s granite, could shatter and crumble under such a fusillade. In addition, Battery Weed’s casemates were only designed to mount 10-inch Rodman cannons, but 15-inch Rodmans, with a far greater range, were already becoming commonplace. By the turn of the century 90% of Battery Weed’s armament had been removed; in later years the structure would mainly be used for storage.

Do you think most residents of New York were aware of how obsolete some of their city’s fortifications were?