2025

History

The location of the fort is located at what is now the Customs House at Bowling Green on the southern tip of Manhattan island. Built by the Dutch West India Company, the fort was strategically set on a hill overlooking where the Hudson River meets New York Harbor, it contained the trading post, barracks, a church and warehouse and was built to protect the fledgling settlement from any incoming threats while still allowing the Dutch colonies to take advantage of their docking location on Manhattan’s southern tip. Fort Amsterdam served as an important hub for trade, diplomacy and defense.

When the fort was demolished in 1788, the hill was cut down to the level at which it is now. 

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