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Early History

One of New York's most historic landmarks lies approximately a half mile off the tip of Manhattan in New York Bay. It is Governors Island, site of Fort Jay and from July 1946 to Jun 1966, station for Headquarters, First United States Army. Governors Island has been an American military post without interruption since 1794, however, its ties with the history of this country reach even deeper into the past.
    
    The first white man to see the Island was probably the explorer Giovanni de Verrazano who reached the harbor in 1524. At that time the Island was thickly covered with oak, hickory and chestnut trees. Its Indian name, "Pagganck" and Dutch name, "Nooten Eylandt" or "Nutten Island" referred to these groves of nut trees.
    
    The story of the Island really begins with its purchase from the Indians of Manahatas on June 16, 1637. Then Wouter Van Twiller, the Director General of New Netherlands bought Pagganck from the Indians,
Cakapeteyno and Pebiwas for what is believed to have been two ax heads, a string of beads and a few nails. Although Van Twiller may not have lived on Nutten, records show that he did keep 21 pairs of goats there. Not long after he became Governor,Van Twiller was charged will illegal trading and incompetence. Knowing that he would be replaced, he decided to take Nutten for himself. At a meeting of his Council attended by Cakapeteyno and Pehiwas, he arranged to receive Nutten as a grant. Later in 1638, Van Twiller was sent home and his purchase of Nutten was declared in violation of the West India Company's Charter. On July 1, 1652 the Director General and Council formally annulled the purchase and returned Nutten to public domain.
From then on, it was set aside as an estate for the Dutch Governors and later, for their English successors. Van Twiller, thus, 'Was probably the only private owner of the Island.
    
    In 1664 the English captured New Amsterdam and renamed it New York. They also took Nutten which the Dutch had not fortified despite its strategic location. Nine years later, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War the Dutch regained their lost province, only to lose it again to England under the terms of the Treaty of Westminster, 1674.
    
    In 1698 the Island was set aside by the Assembly as being "part of the Denizen of His Majestie's Fort at New York for the benefit and accommodation of His Majestie's Governors for the time being," and hence, it came to be called "The Governor's Island." The Island's name was changed officially from "Nutten" to"The Governor's" by an Act of Legislature, March 29, 1784. Gradually "The" and the apostrophe in "Governor's" were dropped leaving the title as it is today - Governors

Castle Williams - 1900's
Was completed in 1811, is named in honor of Colonel Jonathan Williams, who at the time was the superintendent of West Point and chief engineer of the U.S. Army. Twenty-seven French 35-pounder cannons lined the lower tier, and thirty-nine 20-pounders lined the second tier. It was also used as a fort, then as a prison by the U.S. Army from the Civil War until 1966

  From 1691 to 1702 the English Colonial Governors urged the fortification of New York Harbor. In spite of their efforts, only 1500 was raised for defenses at the Narrows, and in 1702 this was appropriated by Lord Cornbury for the construction of a mansion on Governors Island. Lord Combury's house was financed also by a series of unique taxes, including a levy of five shillings and sixpence on everyone who wore a pearl ring and two shillings and fivepence on every bachelor over the age of twenty-five. The house was put up on the high ground in the northeast section of the Island and was used by Lord Cornbury and following governors as the gubernatorial mansion. It was named, fittingly, "The Smiling Garden of the Sovereigns of the Province."
  
    Tradition places this house where Building 14 now stands overlooking San Juan Dock, in fact, Building 14 may be the actual house. It is known to have been built prior to the War of 1812 when it served. as a guard house and headquarters of the Island's Garrison. Its cellar then contained the famous "Black Hole," a cell for the solitary confinement of difficult prisoners. Until the Commanding General's Quarters were erected in 1840, Building 14 was the senior officer's home and was conunonly called "the Governor's House." There is a legend that during the Revolution this house was connected by a tunnel to a private dock on Buttermilk Channel, by which the Governor could escape to his official barge if the Americans landed. Although there is no trace of this rumored tunnel today, it is supposed to have been large enough to accommodate the  Governor's coach and four horses.
    
    In 1710 The Colonial authorities designated Governors Island a quarantine station for the large groups of Palatines who were arriving in America. From 7,000 to 10,000 of these exiles were camped on the Island at one time. Later they were sent up the Hudson to Green and Columbia counties. One of these refugees, John Peter Zenger, later became publisher of the New York Weekly journal and first famous defender of freedom of the press in America.
    
    Until the middle of the eighteenth century Governors Island remained both unfortified and unguarded. Although there were many war scares and proposals for defense, nothing was done either in garrisoning a post or building, works. During this period,  Governors Island seems to have been primarily a sanctuar for birds and animals. Records show that in addition to Governor Van Twiller's goats, exactly 103 head of cattle were kept there in 1623. Later, in 1732, Governor Crosby used the Island as a preserve for English pheasants. It was officially designated a preserve for these pheasants in 1738.

The above text and photos were taken from http://www.govislandarmybrat.com/
We would like to thank them for their use. For more detail of the Govenor's Island and the people who lived there please visit their site.