Located at the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, The Battery is a public park that features numerous elements connected to the legacy of the city. This connection is realized directly and indirectly across the space, creating a place for residents and visitors to experience this legacy amidst an urban green space. Doing so has transformed the ways audiences can engage with it and the history it embodies another.
British Gun Batteries Define a Modern New York City Park
The series of gun batteries that was constructed around the shore of what would become southern Manhattan by the British in the 1680s gave this area the Battery name. The area became known as Battery Park in the 19th century but reclaimed the historic name of “the Battery” in 2015.
The Battery would become a popular place for New Yorkers to visit in the early 18th century. Landfills and the 1811 construction of a circular fort known as the West Battery further defined the space. Renamed Castle Clinton in 1815, the New York Aquarium operated from there starting in 1896.
After being mostly closed from 1940-1952, visitors came back to a dramatically transformed park that had been completely relandscaped and expanded by two acres. This began a further transformation of the space that saw it install various landmarks that honor soldiers, explorers, inventors, and immigrants. However, these monuments are only part of what it means for audiences to connect with the legacy of New York City that comes to life in distinct ways across The Battery.
Monuments that Honor Soldiers, Explorers, Inventors, and Immigrants
The most prominent monument featured in The Battery is the East Coast Memorial, which honors the 4,601 missing American servicemen who lost their lives in the Atlantic Ocean while engaged in combat during World War II. Defined by 19-foot tall gray granite pylons with the names of all those servicemen carved onto each, it is just one of the many landmarks that define the experiences across the space.
Elsewhere, the Immigrants sculpture celebrates the diversity of New York City and the struggle of immigrants. The John Wolfe Ambrose bust honors the man whose vision and persistence resulted in the deep sea channel to New York Harbor, which improved the viability of the Port of New York. The Statue of Giovanni da Verrazzano honors the Italian explorer and navigator who explored the coastline now comprising the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada in 1523. On the water and overlooking the Statue of Liberty, the American Merchant Mariners Memorial depicts three merchant seamen stranded on a sinking ship. It serves as a marker for America’s merchant mariners resting in the unmarked ocean depths.
The New York Korean War Veterans Memorial, Netherland Monument and Admiral George Dewey Memorial are just a few of the other monuments and landmarks located across the space but there are numerous other ways for audiences to engage with the space. These include the npark programs that provide everything from tours of the monuments to bird walks to yoga classes. Additionally, luncheons and other special events celebrate the park’s transformation into a paradise of plants.
In terms of direct economic image, the Pixie Scout Canteen has a space within The Battery while SeaGlass is an aquarium–themed carousel that provides audiences with an immersive experience of movement, music, and light. Riders sit inside one of 30 monumental fish becoming both the performers and the audience. All of these elements are bolstered and supported by The Battery Conservancy team, which works to further transform the space for the benefits of audiences across the eras. This endeavor showcases how the space has become such an important element of the surrounding community.
As a hub for transportation to the Statue of Liberty, a place for residents to gather and relax as well as a key element of guides and maps for New York City, The Battery highlights what it can mean for a space to become landmark for a city and region.
A Transformative Legacy
In 1982, the state of New York designated Battery Park as a part of Harbor Park, a group of historic waterfront sites. This designation recognizes the incredible transformation that has taken place across The Battery which continues into the present, creating a single landmark that resonates with residents and visitors in different ways, creating engagement across space and time.
