National Monuments - New York

African Burial Ground National Monument

7/20/2009 Headed downtown, parked in a garage and walked just a block to the African Burial Ground NM [NHL]. Outside we saw the memorial area to around 15,000 Africans buried there over about a 100 year period. A number of mounds marked the area where about 400 bodies discovered while constructing a federal building were reinterred after archeological excavation. A marble A-frame tunnel, evoking the hold of a slave ship, led to an area with waterfalls, more marble, a map of the earth, symbols seen on some of the caskets and markers, and a short description of some of the individually exhumed bodies. Got a nice talk outside by a ranger with an interesting oratorical style. Went inside the federal building to the interpretive center and saw a movie made in the 90s about the discovery of and controversy surrounding the burial site.

The park sign

The memorial area

Mounds marking some of the burial sites

Ken and me

Waterfall and marble

Castle Clinton National Monument

7/3/1989 Went to Castle Clinton (National Monument) and Wall Street area.

A view of the fort

Cool diorama showing how the land expanded out

6/28/2014 Next we walked over to Castle Clinton. I was hoping to get a nice photo of it, but the outside front had some stuff sitting around, and there were a gazillion people waiting in line for the Statue of Liberty tickets, which are sold within the Castle. Oh well.

A decent view out front ...

... and how it really looked

A commemorative plaque

Gun ports facing the harbor

Fort Stanwix National Monument

9/13/1993 ... stopped first at Fort Stanwix National Monument [NHL] near Utica - reconstructed Revolutionary war fort, saw good film.

Me by the park sign

Maureen out front

Me inside by a cannon

8/18/2010 Left work at 2:30 and headed east to Rome and Fort Stanwix National Monument [NHL, and in the Erie Canalway NHC]. Went through the nice visitors center exhibits and films (new since I last visited), then walked through the nicely reconstructed Revolutionary War fort (completed in 1976 after archeological discovery).

The park sign

Me in a boat by the VC ...

... and outside the fort

Ken by the fort entrance ...

... and by a cannon

Nice diorama of the fort under construction

Governors Island National Monument

8/18/2007 Took the ferry ride to Governors Island (National Monument) on a beautiful day. Walked over and into Castle Williams, then around the residential and other areas. Ferry back to Manhattan ...

Approaching the island

Me by a welcome sign

Castle William outside ...

... and inside

A pretty residence

Our ride back

Stonewall National Monument

2/28/2018 Continuing a little further we came to Christopher Park across from the Stonewall Inn for the relatively new (6/2016) Stonewall NM. Although there are plans for the usual park service facilities, right now there is only one interpretive sign, and two full-size concrete statutes of gay couples.

The Stonewall Inn

The park sign

Sculptures with the Stonewall

Ken with one group ...

... and me with the other

Historical info