WEST POINT – Constitution Island, the 280-acre isle located south of Cold Spring, the only part of the U.S. Military Academy Reservation on the east side of the Hudson River, will soon be reopening for tours.
Formerly known as “Martelaer’s Rock,” Constitution Island is the site of the earliest Revolutionary War fortifications in the Hudson Valley. Taken briefly by the British in 1777, the island was re-occupied by American forces in 1778, and made an integral part of Fortress West Point. The island was bequeathed to the military academy in 1909 and has been administered by the West Point Museum ever since.
The tours will be under the direction of the Constitution Island Association, a nonprofit that is responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the island’s historic Warner house and its grounds.
Former Putnam Legislator and current Putnam Transportation Director Vincent Tamagna, who chairs the Constitution Island Association, said the tours will be offered on Saturdays from August through September, with online registration required in advance. A grand opening is planned for July 27.
Tamagna said the opening of the island had been a “long time in coming. Visitors will be able to explore the island, its views and the Warner house on designated paths. Some areas will be off-limits due to safety concerns. We are also working with partners along the Hudson River, exploring the possibility of boat service to the island.”
It was a dozen years ago this week when Putnam’s proud history came to life at a Bicentennial bash on Constitution Island.
The gala began at Garrison’s Landing, with cocktails and light refreshments, followed by a 22-minute boat ride to the historic, federally owned landmark, where historians tell us a massive, heavy chain was pulled from the shoreline to block boat access up the Hudson in an act of defiance against British tyranny during the Revolutionary War.
Former Governor George Pataki led a list of distinguished guests, including newspaper heiress Patty Hearst, Sheriff Don Smith, Congresswoman Nan Hayworth, Assemblyman Steve Katz and State Senator Stephen Saland.
Pataki said at the time he was proud to be “right smack in the Hudson Highlands where so much history determined the nature of our country. Imagine 400 soldiers looking down the river facing an armada of the mightiest empire in the world. It makes us all feel proud that America was created by a handful of people who dedicated their lives to the patriotic cause of freedom.”
Standing along the shoreline of the majestic river as cannon fire sounded at West Point, former County Executive Mary Ellen Odell admitted pinching herself, asking, “Is this really happening?”
The executive said she believed that Putnam’s proud history must be “shared and remembered. We now must look forward to the next 200 years. Tonight is a great time to be an American and it’s a wonderful time to live in Putnam County—one of the most beautiful, peaceful and safest places on earth.”
