Rock Hall

One of the finest pre- Revolutionary War homes on Long Island, Rock Hall was built in 1767.  It was once the home of Josiah Martin, an English sugar plantation owner who was born and raised on the West Indian island of Antigua.  At age 68, instead of retiring to the English countryside, Josiah chose this site with its proximity to the ocean and New York Harbor as his final home.

At the beginning of the American Revolution, the house was occupied by rebel forces in 1776.  Josiah Martin's eldest son, Dr. Samuel Martin, was imprisoned briefly during this time in Philadelphia for his association with other loyalists, but was allowed to post bond and was set free.  After Josiah's death in 1778, Rock Hall was inherited by Samuel.

Thomas Hewlett acquired Rock Hall and 125 acres from Samuel's heirs in 1824. Hewlett responded to the rising popularity of summer tourism in the Rockaway area during the 19th century, and remodeled Rock Hall and opened its doors to summer guests as early as 1830. Thomas Hewlett's son, James Augustus made his summer home at Rock Hall after 1868.  James enlarged the house with a service wing in 1881. 

By the 1930s the revered ancestral home was no longer occupied. In 1948, the Hewlett family deeded Rock Hall to the Town of Hempstead.  After an extensive restoration, it opened as a museum in 1953 and is owned and operated by the Town of Hempstead.

Source:

“Rock Hall.” Rock Hall Museum - Town of Hempstead, www.friendsofrockhall.org/rock-hall

Fort Tyler

It was in 1898, at the start of the Spanish-American War, that attention turned to long-neglected defensive positions along the East Coast. Without firepower at the entrance to Long Island Sound, enemy ships might approach New York City from the back, wreaking havoc before the U.S. Navy could respond.

The Eastern Shield, a string of fortifications from the Connecticut shore to Montauk, was rushed into construction. Work on Fort Tyler was commissioned by the War Department. It was to be built on a 14-acre island on what had until the blizzard of 1888 been known as Gardiner’s Point. The fort was not completed by war’s end. Troops were never stationed there, and no guns ever mounted. For years, its only occupants were seabirds and the occasional group of picnickers — including at least one class from East Hampton High School.

It was named in 1904, after Brigadier General Daniel Tyler, U.S. Volunteers, who served with distinction during the U.S. Civil War, and who died 30 Nov 1882. Conveyed to New York State in 1924. Gardiners Point Island was first acquired by the government in 1851 as a lighthouse reservation.

In 1898, it was transferred to the U.S. Army for use as a coastal fortification and a single Endicott Period gun battery was built in 1898. The Endicott Period battery was never armed and it seems that a temporary, two gun 8" Rodman gun battery was also built but not armed.

 The island was garrisoned in 1917 during World War I. The interest of the U.S. Government was conveyed to the State of New York by Q.M. Order dated 29 Aug 1924. Battery and Island used for target practice during World War II and through 1975.

 n July 1936, the Ninth Bombardment Group of the Army Air Force tested its new Glen Martin bombers there. After World War II, the assaults on the fort became more intense, with live bombs, rockets, and machine guns trained on its crumbling walls.

 Closed to the public, a real danger from unexploded ordnance. Do not set foot on the island. As of 2020, the ruins, as they are called, has nearly been consumed by the sea.

 Sources:

 “Fort Tyler (1).” Fort Tyler (1) - FortWiki Historic U.S. and Canadian Forts, www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Tyler_(1)

 Rattray, David E. “The 'Ruins' Are Claimed by the Sea.” The 'Ruins' Are Claimed by the Sea | The East Hampton Star, www.easthamptonstar.com/villages/202012/ruins-are-claimed-sea