Fort Totten Historic District

In 1857, this 136-acre compound was known as The Fort at Willets Point. It was renamed in 1898 to honor Major General Joseph G. Totten, who helped devise the nation's coastal defense system prior to the Civil War. The fortification became an important component of New York City's harbor defense. Most of the historic buildings were constructed between 1885 and 1914, including barracks for the soldiers, a fire engine house, and a mess hall. Many of the buildings are brick, and derive from the Colonial Revival style. The earliest surviving structure, known as Building 211, was constructed in the Greek Revival style for the Willets family in 1829. It was remodeled in the Gothic Revival style in the late 1860s for the commanding officer.

The Fort survives as one of the most intact, self-contained garrisons in New York City. Shifting defense methods are visible in the variations in building techniques and arrangements within the site. In the twentieth century, the fort was central to the advanced training of Army engineers and research in military technology and medicine.

The majority of Fort Totten's buildings were eventually turned over to the City of New York and are now operated by the Fire and Park Departments, as well as the Historic House Trust. The City of New York acquired ninety acres from the federal government in 2004, and made plans to develop a new park on half the land as part of the Federal Lands to Parks Program. The park was opened to the public in June 2005, after general accessibility and safety improvements throughout the park were completed. Fort Totten Pool has also re-opened to the public and a former military storage building was renovated for use as a visitor's center. ©2014