Fort Wadsworth is an abandoned military installation at Staten Island in New York. The fort which was formerly known as Richmond Fort was established in the year 1663 and is the longest ever operational installation in the nation as it operated for over 3 centuries. Fort Wadsworth is now a forsaken ruin left to rot by the shoreline of Staten Island.

The rise of the Fort

Fort Richmond was established in 1663 as a blockhouse by a Dutchman called David de Vries. Within the same year, the fort was fortified more and was even used during the American Revolution. Later in the 1770s, the British took over the Fort, modifying and expanding it even more. After the war in 1783, they handed it back to America. Fort Wadsworth survived through numerous wars in the 1700s and 1800s but one particular war (the Civil War) marked a milestone in its existence as it was named after Union Army leader General James Wadsworth. Over the years Fort Wadsworth experienced some bumpy periods as its functions changed from time to time. At one point it was a school for the U.S Army Chaplains to an Army post and finally a Naval Base before it closed permanently in 1994.

Ghosts of Fort Wadsworth

Many visitors and tourists who have had the opportunity to visit Fort Wadsworth say they saw or heard unusual activities. Some narrated that at some hidden sections of the vast Fort they saw figures of soldiers who disappeared by the realization of human presence. A specific lady once experienced an out-of-the-ordinary experience at the Fort. She says while at the Fort, she was taken back in time during the war where he saw several wounded soldiers die in battle.

A Forsaken Fort

At this time the Fort is not operational and its ownership changed from the U.S Department of Defense to now the Department of Interior that currently manages it. Some sections of the extensive Fort were restored and are still used by the U.S Department of Defense. These are Tompkins and Battery Weeds. Though it is still visible, Hurricane Sandy caused some major destruction at the abandoned Fort.

What remains of Fort Wadsworth?

Fort Wadsworth is currently under the management of the Gateway National Recreational group that organizes guided tours in the Fort every day. People are allowed to book tours any other day to go and enjoy a walk at the historic Fort Wadsworth. Fort Wadsworth does not only serve as a tourist attraction site but it is also the starting point of the famous New York City Marathon. The Marathon is an annual event that brings different athletes all over the world to New York, in a competition to measure the might of their fellow competitors.