Fort Jay sits on Governors Island in New York Harbor, roughly half a mile south of Manhattan, and stands as part of a 22-acre National Monument administered by the National Park Service. Named in 1798 for John Jay, the Federalist Governor of New York, the fort was reconstructed between 1806 and 1809 into a square structure with four corner bastions designed to defend Upper New York Bay. Fort Jay and the nearby Castle Williams form the centerpieces of this historic site, which remains open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM for self-guided exploration and ranger-led tours, offering visitors access to a significant symbol of American military heritage.
