Fort Clinton Site

 fortification, historic remains

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One of a string of military fortifications built atop the steep bluffs overlooking the Harlem Meer. This cannon, which is thought to be 230 years old, has a dramatic history. It was used on the H.M.S. Hussar which sank, and was then submerged in the East River for decades. It was salvaged and anonymously donated to the park on October 10, 1865, around the time of the Civil War. After being moved to various places around the park, it was eventually installed at Fort Clinton in 1905. There, it remained on public display until 1996 when the Central Park Conservancy decided to bring it indoors to protect it from vandalism. In January 2013, workers were cleaning it when they found it was fully loaded with gunpowder and a cannonball.

www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/north-end/fo...