American Redoubt - New York, NY, USA - Daughters of the American Revolution on Waymarking.com

With considerable fanfare and pageantry, this monument was dedicated on November 16, 1910, marking the 134th anniversary of the surrender of Fort Washington to the British. A large contingent of dignitaries, members of the DAR, and 500 troops from the Coast Artillery paraded to the monument draped by an American flag, which was unveiled by 18 children -- “the Little Men and Women” of the DAR’s Fort Washington Chapter.

This Chapter was one of the founding organizations that formed the Washington Headquarters Association, which in its present form supervises the nearby Morris-Jumel Mansion. The Fort Washington Chapter was disbanded as an entity on October 12, 1960.

When erected, the monument would have been in a small park off the leisurely Riverside Drive, a popular place for Sunday drives in new-fangled automobiles. The steep embankment and wooded bluff near the monument was a scenic overlook and picnic grove. The Henry Hudson Parkway and George Washington Bridge were both more than 20 years in the future, though even at that time many had said that this was the most obvious place for a bridge to New Jersey because of the narrowness of the river at this point, the very same feature that made it useful as a redoubt.

After the 1930s and the construction of the highway and bridge rendered the site remote, noisy and inhospitable, the monument was mostly forgotten and allowed to become overgrown and fall into disrepair. Old photos of the monument show that it was once graffiti covered. Corners have been chipped away, including around the inscription, and natural weathering of the stone makes it somewhat difficult to read. In recent years the spray painted graffiti was cleaned, but scratched initials and other physical graffiti remains. Though monument has become better known in recent years, it still remains somewhat inaccessible, and despite there being an unmaintained trail, there is no signage to direct you.

The monument is most easily reached from 181st Street and Riverside Drive by crossing the footbridge over the Henry Hudson Parkway and following the pedestrian pathway south, then curve down toward the Hudson River. You will cross under the Parkway through a tunnel, then over a wooden pedestrian bridge at the railroad tracks. Once over the bridge you'll spot to your left a small sign that reads "Forever Wild Nature Preserve." Look for a dirt trail going up the hill near that sign.

BE AWARE that this is one of the more isolated places in Manhattan, so be conscious of your surroundings. Also watch out for poison ivy in the spring and summer, there is usually a TON here around the monument.

SOURCES
Information for this description was incorporated from the following sources:
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DAR Chapter: Fort Washington Chapter Date Placed: 11/16/1910 Inscription: AMERICAN REDOUT 1776 WASHINGTON CHAPTER DAR 1910

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