National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument
Cataloged Archival Items, 1737-1975
Multiple Catalog Numbers
National Park Service
Manhattan Sites
Castle Clinton National Monument
Tobi K. Adler
January 2013
This finding aid may be accessed electronically from the
National Park Service Manhattan Historic Sites Archive
http://www.mhsarchive.org
Processing was funded by a generous donation from the Leon Levy Foundation
to the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy.
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2
COPYRIGHT AND RESTRICTIONS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...4
PROVENANCE NOTE….....…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5
HISTORICAL NOTE…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...6
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….8
ARRANGEMENT NOTE……………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………….9
SERIES OUTLINE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...9
SERIES NOTES AND CONTENTS LIST….……………………………………………………………………………………………………10
RELATED MATERIALS NOTE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………20
SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20
ADDED ENTRIES………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………….21
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 2
SUMMARY
Creator: United States. National Park Service
Title: Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items
Dates: 1737-1975, undated
Extent: 4.5 linear feet (1 document box, 1 half document box, 3 flat boxes, 2 lantern slide boxes and 16
volumes)
National Park Service Accession Number: Multiple accession numbers
National Park Service Catalog Number: Multiple catalog numbers
Historical or Biographical Statement:
Castle Clinton, originally named West Battery, was constructed off-shore, between 1807 and 1811, 200
feet from the area in Lower Manhattan called the Battery. The Battery once held Fort Amsterdam, built
by the Dutch in 1626, renamed Fort George by the British in 1687, and destroyed by American troops in
1776. The area soon became a popular promenade for New Yorkers because of the magnificent vista of
New York Harbor. After the War of 1812, New York City petitioned the Federal Government for control
of Castle Clinton, which the city received in 1823. Reopened as Castle Garden in 1824, the structure was
used as a concert hall and entertainment center until 1854. Through the years, Castle Garden hosted
many celebrities. In 1855, the New York State Commissioners of Emigration purchased the lease for
Castle Garden and opened it as a landing station for new immigrants. In 1890, the United States
Government took over immigration processing and subsequently moved the reception center to Ellis
Island. The New York Aquarium opened in the former fort in 1896, free to the public. The New York City
Parks Department, under Robert Moses, closed the aquarium in 1941. After threatening demolition of
the structure to facilitate tunnel construction, Moses faced a group of civic-minded individuals and
preservationist organizations who fought to save the historic site. In 1946, President Truman signed the
bill creating Castle Clinton National Monument. In 1949, Castle Clinton and the land underneath were
ceded to the Federal Government by New York City with permission from the New York State Legislature
and the site officially became Castle Clinton National Monument.
Scope and Content Statement:
This collection contains individually cataloged items spanning the breadth of Castle Clinton’s history.
Physical changes to the structure are detailed in the various images of Castle Clinton found within the
collection. Record types include lithographs, prints, clippings, sheet music, postcards, programs,
invitations, photographs and lantern slides, textiles, books and official documents. One of the
documents and several of the books predate Castle Clinton.
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 3
Processing Information:
This collection was processed as part of the Manhattan Sites Archives Project in 2012 by Project
Archivist Tobi Adler, with the assistance of Lead Archivist Mimi Bowling.
Funding Source:
Processing of this collection was made possible by a generous donation from the Leon Levy
Foundation to the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy.
Contact Information:
Chief of Cultural Resources, National Park Service, Manhattan Sites
Federal Hall National Memorial
26 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005
(212) 825-6883
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 4
COPYRIGHT AND RESTRICTIONS
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies
or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The various state privacy acts govern the use of
materials that document private individuals, groups, and corporations.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a
reproduction if the document does not infringe the privacy rights of an individual, group, or corporation.
These specified conditions of authorized use include:
• non-commercial and non-profit study, scholarship, or research, or teaching
• criticism, commentary, or news reporting
• as a NPS preservation or security copy
• as a research copy for deposit in another institution
If a user later uses a copy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," the user may be
personally liable for copyright, privacy, or publicity infringement. This institution's permission to obtain a
photographic, xerographic, digital, or other copy of a document doesn't indicate permission to publish,
exhibit, perform, reproduce, sell, distribute, or prepare derivative works from this document without
first obtaining permission from the copyright holder and from any private individual, group, or
corporation shown or otherwise recorded.
Permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, prepare derivative works from, sell, or otherwise
distribute the item must be obtained by the user separately in writing from the holder of the original
copyright (or if the creator is dead from his/her heirs) as well as from any individual(s), groups, or
corporations whose name, image, recorded words, or private information (e.g., employment
information) may be reproduced in the source material. The holder of the original copyright isn't
necessarily the National Park Service. The National Park Service is not legally liable for copyright, privacy,
or publicity infringement when materials are wrongfully used after being provided to researchers for
"fair use."
This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if fulfillment of the order is judged
in violation of copyright or federal or state privacy or publicity law.
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 5
PROVENANCE NOTE
Items in this collection were assembled from materials located in the Manhattan Sites collections,
housed at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, New York. Each item has been individually cataloged by the
National Park Service from multiple accessions. These items were collected by the Manhattan Sites
administration by donation, purchase and inter-park transfer. The lantern slides are part of Accession
CACL-00075, which also contains the Castle Clinton National Monument Administrative Records, but are
now cataloged separately from that collection.
Accessions in this collection includes CACL-00002, CACL-00003, CACL-00004, CACL-00005, CACL-00006,
CACL-00010, CACL-00011, CACL-00012, CACL-00013, CACL-00015, CACL-00034, CACL-00043, CACL00057, CACL-00058, CACL-00060, CACL-00061, CACL-00062, CACL-00063, CACL-00064, CACL-00065,
CACL-00066, CACL-00069, CACL-00071, CACL-00072, CACL-00073, CACL-00075, CACL-00076, CACL00079.
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 6
HISTORICAL NOTE
In 1625, the Dutch began settling New Netherland in earnest and, by 1626, Fort Amsterdam was
constructed on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. The fort was renamed Fort George by the British
in 1687 and was destroyed by American troops in 1776. The area, later called the Battery, maintained a
fort or some form of military protection until 1788.1 In 1807, a group of fortifications was planned,
meant to protect New York Harbor as tension increased between Great Britain and the United States.
The West Battery, with permission from the New York State legislature, was located approximately 200
feet off the coast. The construction of the West Battery was overseen by Colonel Jonathan Williams of
the Army Corps of Engineers. John McComb, Jr. an architect known for the design of New York City’s
City Hall and of Alexander Hamilton’s home, The Grange, collaborated in the design and construction of
the West Battery, especially the entryway or sallyport to the new fort.2
The West Battery was completed in 1811. When war was declared in 1812, the British Navy instituted a
blockade of New York Harbor but never attempted to sail up the Hudson River to approach the city. The
war ended in 1815 without the guns of the West Battery ever firing on the enemy. At some time
between 1815 and 1817, the West Battery was renamed Castle Clinton, reportedly for DeWitt Clinton,
who completed a term as Mayor of New York City in 1814 and became New York State Governor in
1817.
New York City began a campaign to reclaim Castle Clinton in 1820. Congress passed the necessary
legislation in 1822 to cede the site, and the army, which was in charge of the site, turned Castle Clinton
over to the Common Council in 1823. Public opinion supported using Castle Clinton as a public space.
The former fort opened as Castle Garden in 1824, ornamented with flowers, plants, and a covered walk
on top of the walls with a view of the harbor. Later renovations would add fountains, gas lighting and
panoramic murals. The leasing company conducted fireworks displays and open air concerts. In
September 1824, a gala reception was held in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette during his tour of the
United States.3
The structure was expanded and a dome built to enclose the space in 1845. Soon after, the space
became a true concert hall, presenting the Italian Opera Company’s performances.4 In September 1850,
Jenny Lind, called the Swedish Nightingale and promoted by the impresario Phineas T. Barnum, began
her American concert tour at Castle Garden. In 1851, the Hungarian revolutionary Louis Kossuth, who
had led his country during a revolt against Austria and was president of a briefly independent Hungary,
visited and was celebrated as a champion of liberty.5 Castle Garden continued to host concerts until
1854.
In 1855, the New York State Commissioners of Emigration purchased the lease for Castle Garden and
opened it as a landing station for new immigrants. Created in 1847 by the state legislature to regulate
immigration into New York and protect the immigrants, the Commissioners of Emigration first created a
1
Jackson, Kenneth T, ed.. The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.
Griswold, William A. “The Archaeology of Military Politics: The Case of Castle Clinton.” Historical
Archaeology. 35 (4), p. 105-117. Pennsylvania: Society for Historical Archaeology, 2001.
3
”Fete at Castle Garden.” New-York Evening Post. New York, September 15, 1824.
4
Wall, Alexander J., Jr. “Short Chronology of the Aquarium Building at the Battery, New York City, formerly
known as Castle Clinton and Castle Garden.” Quarterly Bulletin. New York: New-York Historical Society.
5
Castle Clinton National Monument. Washington, DC: National Park Service, 1953.
2
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 7
hospital for immigrants on Ward’s Island. They subsequently selected Castle Garden as the immigration
depot and the first ships docked there in August 1855. At Castle Garden, immigrants were provided
assistance in finding jobs, a safe place to live and a location where friends and family could come to
claim them, as well as travel advice if they wanted to continue their journey.6 In September 1882, the
Federal Government began oversight of the state agencies that managed the influx of aliens into the
country. By 1890, Castle Garden was closed and in 1892, the Department of the Treasury moved the
reception center to Ellis Island.7
Once closed, Castle Garden reverted to the control of New York City which placed it under the
jurisdiction of the New York City Parks Department in 1891. The Parks Department renovated the
structure and opened the New York Aquarium in the former fort in 1896, free to the public. The city ran
the aquarium for five years and then turned management of the site over to the New York Zoological
Society, an organization founded in 1895 to promote zoological study and wildlife conservation. The
building was renovated again, by the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, adding a third floor and
creating an imposing facade. Under the direction of Dr. Charles Haskins Townsend, the aquarium
enlarged its collections and attracted thousands of visitors each year. The aquarium remained a popular
draw for New Yorkers and visitors until its closing by the New York City Parks Department in October
1941.
According to Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, the closing of the Aquarium and the entire Battery Park
early in 1941 was necessary for safety reasons during the construction of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.
Then in May 1941, Moses proposed demolishing the structure, whereupon several civic groups
dedicated to preserving the history of New York City, including the American Scenic and Historic
Preservation Society and the Fine Arts Federation, immediately contacted the National Park Service.
The battle to save Castle Clinton raged until 1946 and included petitions, competitions and lawsuits in
the effort to stop the demolition. In August 1946, President Harry Truman signed the bill creating
Castle Clinton National Monument and in April 1949, the bill ceding Castle Clinton and the land
underneath it to the Federal government was signed by Governor Thomas E. Dewey.
The National Park Service received Castle Clinton National Monument from New York City in 1950.
Immediately, the Park Service focused on recreating the 1812 fort. The fort’s original plans were
examined and archeological surveys were conducted. Actual restoration of the fort began in the 1960s.
Castle Clinton was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in
1965.
The New York City Bicentennial Corporation encouraged the reopening of Castle Clinton as part of the
beginning celebrations in May 1975, although the actual rededication and reopening ceremony for
Castle Clinton National Monument occurred in June. In September of that year, the 125th anniversary of
Jenny Lind’s 1850 concert was commemorated with a concert in front of Castle Clinton.
6
Svejda, George J. Castle Garden as an Immigration Depot, 1855-1890. Washington, DC: National Park Service,
Division of History, 1968. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/elis/castle_garden.pdf
7
Ibid.
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 8
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items Collection encompasses documentary,
photographic and artifactual materials relating to the history of the Castle Clinton site, particularly as
Castle Garden and the New York Aquarium, and the Battery. The collection contains a commission, a
prisoner receipt, a passport, lithographs, engravings, reprints and reproductions, clippings, sheet music,
postcards, periodicals, a program, an invitation, photographs, lantern slides, glass negatives, a cotton
sampler and books. While a few items, such as the 1737 commission, signed by New York Province
Acting Governor George Clarke, predate the building of Castle Clinton, the main body of material
focuses on the era of Castle Garden. Only the receipt for two English prisoners being transferred from
the prize brig Eclypse during the War of 1812 is contemporaneous with Castle Clinton’s use as a fort.
Many of the prints, lithographs and clippings in the collection recall Castle Garden as an entertainment
center and concert hall. Several scenes include both Castle Garden and Battery Park as in View of the
Battery and Castle Garden New York by Alexander Jackson Davis and Anthony Imbert, which was printed
around 1828. The image of Castle Garden continued to be published in periodicals and books, including
Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion and William Cullen Bryant’s Picturesque America or, the
land we live in, and on sheet music such as Light May the Boat Row. Once Castle Garden became the
immigration depot, the engravings included views of immigrants as in “Newly Arrived Emigrants at
Castle Garden, New York City” which was printed in Harper’s Weekly in 1865.
The collection also comprises photographs, lantern slides and glass negatives. A large portion of the
photographs was donated by the New York Zoological Society to the National Park Service, after the
latter assumed control of the site. The society began managing the New York Aquarium in 1901, when
the aquarium was located on the site. These photographs detail the workings of the aquarium and the
interior of the aquarium both before, when it was mainly a wooden structure, and after the renovations
by McKim, Mead & White. The lantern slides and glass negatives include images depicting scenes of the
Battery, Castle Clinton, Castle Garden and the New York Aquarium, some of which duplicate items found
elsewhere in the collection. Also present are images and drawings from other forts, including Castle
Pinckney in South Carolina, Castle Williams and Fort Jay, both on Governors Island, New York.
The postcards in this collection depict Battery Park and New York Harbor with Castle Garden or the New
York Aquarium in the image. The bulletins from 1920 and 1922, published by the New York Zoological
Society, were special editions focused on the history of Castle Garden. A program from one of Jenny
Lind’s performances held in New York City, in 1851, during her concert tour of the United States also
resides here. The collection contains a hand-embroidered sampler, the letters embroidered using red
thread and representing the Italian alphabet. Books about Castle Garden, the New York Aquarium and
immigration are included in the collection. A few other titles were likely brought to the United States by
immigrants, although whether they arrived through Castle Garden is unclear. However, several
volumes, such as the Philosophy of Rhetoric by George Campbell, have no discernible relation to any
iteration of Castle Clinton.
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 9
ARRANGEMENT NOTE
The Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items is an artificial collection created to
facilitate intellectual and physical access to documentary and artifactual items. The collection is divided
into five series: Official Documents, Printed Materials, Photographic Materials, Textile and Books. Folder
numbers are not imposed in this collection and items still maintain their individual catalog numbers.
Items were placed in appropriate containers based on size.
SERIES OUTLINE
I: Official Documents
II: Printed Materials
A: Prints and Lithographs
B: Clippings
C: Sheet Music
D: Postcards, Periodicals, Program and Invitation
III: Photographic Materials
A: Photographs
B: Lantern Slides
IV: Textile
V: Books
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 10
SERIES NOTES AND CONTENTS LIST
Series I: Official Documents, 1737-1878
Extent: .1 linear feet
Arrangement: This series is arranged chronologically and stored according to size.
Scope and Content: This series contains documents issued by government officials: a commission, a
prisoner receipt and a passport. The 1737 commission was signed by New York Province Acting
Governor George Clarke, appointing Solomon Carpenter to the Orange County militia. The receipt was
issued for two English prisoners being transferred from the prize brig Eclypse into the custody of the
Collector of the Port of New York, David Gelston and U. S. Marshal John Smith during the War of 1812.
Frank Dvorak’s passport was signed by Secretary of State William M. Evarts in 1878. The document is
embossed with the seal of the department and contains a description of Mr. Dvorak.
Box Catalog #
Title
4
CACL 207 Solomon Carpenter's Commission
Dates
1737
5
CACL
8
Receipt for Prisoners from HMS Eclypse[sic]
1814
5
CACL
79
Passport for Frank Dvorak
1878
Series II: Printed Materials, 1828-1975, undated
Extent: .5 linear feet
Arrangement: This series is divided into four subseries; Subseries A: Prints and Lithographs, Subseries B:
Clippings, Subseries C: Sheet Music and Subseries D: Postcards, Periodicals, Program and Invitation.
Subseries A is arranged chronologically and stored by size. Subseries B is arranged chronologically.
Subseries C is arranged alphabetically by title. Subseries D is arranged first by type and then, within
each type, chronologically.
Scope and Content: This series contains lithographs, engravings, reprints and reproductions, clippings,
sheet music, postcards, periodicals, a program and an invitation.
Subseries A consists of prints removed from periodicals, books and calendars, and lithographs. Most of
the prints are engravings, but a small number are reprints of engravings, lithographs and paintings. The
prints in this subseries, which were removed from periodicals such as Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing-Room
Companion, Harper’s Weekly and Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, were placed here rather than in
Subseries B: Clippings, because they are images of Castle Garden without accompanying text. Other
prints in the subseries were removed from books, including William Cullen Bryant’s Picturesque America
or, the land we live in; Pictures of New York Life & Character published by G. W. Averell and Co.; and the
German, Geschichte der neuen zeit.
The main focus of the images in this subseries is Castle Garden, often in conjunction with the Battery, as
seen in George Miller and James Smillie’s Battery & Castle Garden, published around 1835. Castle
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 11
Garden is presented as a concert hall, as in First Appearance of Jenny Lind in America, at Castle Garden
Septr. 11th, 1850 printed by Nathaniel Currier. Another popular theme, evidenced by such engravings
as “New York City - Mormon Emigrants Landing on the Wharf at Castle Garden from Ocean Steamers”
from an 1878 edition of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, is Castle Garden as the immigration depot.
Subseries B includes articles, engravings and photographs removed from various periodicals. The
engravings and photographs found in this subseries are placed here because of their relation with
articles on the same or previous page. The article “Kossuth at Castle Garden,” removed from Gleason’s
Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, is accompanied by an engraving of Louis Kossuth giving his speech.
While the image is captioned, the article also refers to the scene.
Subseries C contains sheet music composed on the themes of boats and water. There are two full
copies and one color copy of the cover for Light may the Boat Row. The covers depict Castle Garden as
an entertainment center with customers streaming over the causeway. Light may the Boat Row was
composed by J. Watson and performed as a duet. The second score, New York Boat Glee. Our Boat Sets
Lightly on the Wave was composed by William Clifton in honor of the many boat clubs in New York City.
The cover for New York Boat Glee also shows Castle Garden.
Subseries D consists of postcards, bulletins, a program and an invitation. The postcards depict Battery
Park and New York Harbor at various stages. While not specifically about Castle Garden, each card
includes Castle Garden or the New York Aquarium in the image. One postcard, copied from a
photograph by Irving Underhill, shows the New York Aquarium after its renovation and includes the
Ninth Avenue elevated railway running at the edge of Battery Park. The two bulletins, published by the
New York Zoological Society, which began overseeing the New York Aquarium in 1901, were special
editions focused on the history of Castle Garden. The revised edition, published in 1922, includes a
rendering of the new design proposed by McKim, Mead & White. The program is from one of Jenny
Lind’s performances held in New York City during her concert tour of the United States. The tour, which
began and ended at Castle Garden, included performances in other American venues during its three
year duration.
Subseries A: Prints and Lithographs
Box Catalog #
4
CACL 61
Title
View of the Battery and Castle Garden New York by
Alexander Jackson Davis and Anthony Imbert
Battery & Castle Garden by George Miller and James Smillie
Dates
c. 1828
5
CACL
256
2
CACL
238
Battery & Castle Garden by George Miller and James Smillie
(reprint)
c. 1837
5
CACL
257
Castle Garden from the Battery by William Wade and
William H. Dougal
1849
4
CACL
60
1850
2
CACL
247
5
CACL
62
First Appearance of Jenny Lind in America, at Castle Garden
Septr. 11th, 1850 by Nathaniel Currier
“Castle Garden, N. Y.” removed from Geschichte der neuen
zeit
Castle Garden published by Jacques & Bro.
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
c. 1835
c. 1851
1852
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 12
Box Catalog #
4
CACL 229
Title
“Castle Garden, from the River” from Gleason's Pictorial
Drawing-Room Companion
Dates
1852,
January 10
4
CACL
223
“Gale of February Tenth in New York Bay” by C. Parsons,
removed from Harper’s Weekly
1860, March
10
4
CACL
275
1861, May 11
5
CACL
227
3
2
CACL
CACL
9
239
2
CACL
246
2
CACL
237
4
CACL
59
4
CACL
249
4
CACL
248
4
CACL
230
5
3
CACL
CACL
255
259
4
CACL
53
4
CACL
58
“Camp on the Battery, NYC; Temporary Barracks Erected in
the Park, NYC, for the Accommodation of Troops” removed
from Harper’s Weekly
“Newly Arrived Emigrants at Castle Garden, New York City”
by A. R. Waud, removed from Harper’s Weekly
The Battery by Liebling
New-York Bay by Harry Fenn, removed from William Cullen
Bryant’s Picturesque America or, the land we live in
“New York Aquarium” by Rockwood, removed from Harper’s
Weekly
“Castle Garden from the Battery” by William Wade and
William H. Dougal, removed from New York As it Was And As
it Is:…
“Castle Garden” removed from Pictures of New York Life &
Character published by G. W. Averell and Co.
“New York City - Mormon Emigrants Landing on the Wharf
at Castle Garden from Ocean Steamers” removed from Frank
Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
“New York City - Merrymaking of Newly Arrived Immigrants
at Castle Garden - Joining in a National Dance” removed
from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
“New York - a People's Concert in the Rotunda, Castle
Garden” by Charles Mente, removed from Once A Week Vol.
VIII, No. 21
The First New York Clipper Rainbow by Gordon Grant
A View of Fort George with the City of New York from the SW
by J. (John) Carwitham
“Arrival of the Great Western at the Battery, Monday, April
23rd, 1838”
View of New York by Nathaniel Currier & James Merritt Ives
4
CACL
260
Castle Garden in 1869 (black and white)
undated
4
CACL
261
Castle Garden and the Battery
undated
1865,
September 2
1869
1872
1876
1876
c. 1877
1878,
November 23
1882, June
10
1892, March
8
1944
undated
undated
undated
Subseries B: Clippings
Box Catalog #
4
CACL 228
4
CACL
225
Title
“Jenny Lind in New York” / “Castle Garden, New York” from
The Illustrated London News
“Kossuth at Castle Garden” from Gleason's Pictorial DrawingRoom Companion
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Dates
1850,
October 5
1852,
January 3
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Box Catalog #
4
CACL 224
Title
“Interior of Castle Garden at the time of Max Maretzek's
Benefit” from Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion
“Old Battery Fort will be Restored” from The New York Times
Dates
1852, March
6
1956, July 3
4
CACL
263
4
CACL
264
“Through the Centuries with Castle Clinton whose Future is
Bright Once More” from The New York Times
1956, July 3
4
CACL
226
“Interior of Castle Garden, New York” from Gleason's Pictorial
Drawing-Room Companion
undated
Page 13
Subseries C: Sheet Music
Box Catalog #
4
CACL 63
Title
Light may the Boat Row, arranged and composed by J.
Watson. Lyrics by Jonas B. Phillips. Cover by George
Endicott. Cover only.
250 Light may the Boat Row, arranged and composed by J.
Watson. Lyrics by Jonas B. Phillips
284 Light may the Boat Row, arranged and composed by J.
Watson. Lyrics by Jonas B. Phillips
251 New York Boat Glee. Our Boat Sets Lightly on the Wave,
composed by William Clifton
Dates
1836
4
CACL
1836
4
CACL
4
CACL
1836
1838
Subseries D: Postcards, Periodicals, Program and Invitation
Box Catalog #
2
CACL 245
2
CACL 244
2
CACL
254
2
2
2
CACL
CACL
CACL
278
241
240
2
CACL
267
Title
Battery Park, New York (postcard)
New York Harbor from the Battery, showing Statue of
Liberty and Ellis Island (postcard)
Aquarium, Battery Park at Night, New York City (postcard)
Dates
1892-1895
c. 1926
Zoological Society Bulletin
Zoological Society Bulletin, revised
Programme of Mademoiselle Jenny Lind's Grand Concert, for
Wednesday Evening, May 28, 1851, with the Words for the
Songs in English, German, Italian, and Swedish
Castle Clinton Rededication Invitation
1920
1922
1851
undated
1975
Series III: Photographic Materials, 1880-1955, undated
Extent: 1.8 linear feet
Arrangement: This series is divided into two subseries, Subseries A: Photographs and Subseries B:
Lantern Slides and Glass Negatives. Subseries A is arranged chronologically and stored by size.
Subseries B is arranged by type and then alphabetically by title.
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 14
Scope and Content: This series contains photographs, lantern slides and glass negatives. Some of the
photographs are gelatin prints.
Subseries A contains photographs donated to the National Park Service by the New York Zoological
Society. Several of these photographs detail the workings of the aquarium, including distribution tanks,
aeration tanks, filters, fish hatchery, staff and exhibits. Others show the interior of the aquarium both
before and after the renovations by McKim, Mead & White. The changes on the main floor are evident
between a photograph by George Rockwood showing the floor pools and the wooden structure
upholding the mezzanine and cupola, and a colorized photograph showing plastered and painted pillars,
a ceiling and railings added to the floor pools. A few photographs in this subseries were received from
other donors, including an 1886 image of Castle Garden as the immigration depot. The main structure is
surrounded by outbuildings and fence. A poster of the Statue of Liberty is also included in the subseries.
Subseries B consists of lantern slides and glass negatives found with the Castle Clinton National
Monument Administrative Records (CACL 282). The images depict scenes of the Battery, Castle Clinton,
Castle Garden and the New York Aquarium. Some of the images duplicate other items in the collection
such as View of the Battery and Castle Garden New York, a lithograph by A. J. Davis and Anthony Imbert.
The lithograph can be found in Series II, Subseries A. Other lantern slides present images and drawings
of other forts, including Castle Pinckney in South Carolina, Castle Williams and Fort Jay, both on
Governors Island, New York. Other lantern slides for Castle Clinton can be found in the Federal Hall
National Memorial Cataloged Archival Items collection.
Subseries A: Photographs
Box
1
Catalog #
CACL 206
3
4
1
CACL
CACL
CACL
54
262
243
1
CACL
a-b
CACL
a-b
CACL
a-b
CACL
a-b
CACL
CACL
a-b
CACL
a-b
CACL
268
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
269
270
271
242
274
272
273
Title
Castle Garden and Liberty Statue, New York, U.S.A.
stereograph by J. F. Jarvis
The Battery and Castle Garden
Castle Garden as the Landing Place for Immigrants
Battery Park & Harbor from Exchange Tower / East River
Dates
c. 1880
Unidentified Man and Woman / Washington Building from
Battery Park
Washington Building, Produce Exchange and Battery Place /
Old Buildings, Bowling Green, N. Y.
Steamship Row and Washington Building / Boat Deck
1893
Private Office No. 101 Produce Exchange / Stevens House
and Columbia Building from Produce Exchange
Castle Garden / Bowling Green Looking up Broadway
Castle Garden / Fire Boat New Yorker
1893
First trip of New York under the American flag / From
Produce Exchange Tower looking South East
New York City Post Office / Sunk by Annex Boat No. 3
1893-02-25
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
1886
1890
1893
1893
1893
1893-01
1893-01
1893-03-01
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Box
Catalog #
a-b
Title
Dates
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
12
32
33
34
38
39
26
1896-1921
1896-1921
1896-1921
1896-1921
1896-1921
1896-1921
1901-1921
3
CACL
36
N/A CACL
37
1
1
CACL
CACL
44
46
3
3
1
1
1
3
1
5
4
1
3
N/A
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
42
41
50
51
14
16
35
277
258
10
13
15
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
1
3
3
N/A
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
27
28
29
30
31
40
Early interior of New York Aquarium by George G. Rockwood
New York Aquarium Exterior
Aquarium Interior showing wall tanks
Aquarium Interior showing wall tanks
Main floor beneath balcony by George G. Rockwood
Aquarium Interior by George G. Rockwood
New York Aquarium by the New York Edison Company
Photographic Department
Wall Tanks by the New York Edison Company Photographic
Department
Castle Clinton history plaque from New York Aquarium by
the New York Zoological Society - Not found
Double Series of Distributing Tanks
New Filters for Filtering Water pumped from New York
Harbor
Water and Aeration tanks by Walter L. Beasley
Main floor
New Pumping Plant by Irving Underhill
New Pumping Plant by Irving Underhill
Fish Hatchery
Large pool at the New York Aquarium
Main floor with pools
Statue of Liberty Rededication Ceremony
Band Concert, Battery Park (from Castle Clinton)
Pipe conduits under the Aquarium
Small Exhibit Tanks
Double portrait of Jenny Lind and her husband, Otto
Goldschmidt by Emma Dougherty - Not found
Second Floor Gallery
Second Floor Gallery
Second Floor Gallery
Aquarium Office
Aquarium Office
Sea Lions with Ball by W. Davey
Sea Lions balancing Top Hats by W. Davey
Aquarium Staff by the Union View Co.
Aquarium Staff by the Union View Co.
Keeper feeding the Walruses by Walter L. Beasley
Keeper feeding the Walruses by Walter L. Beasley
Keeper feeding a Walrus by Walter L. Beasley
Keeper feeding Harbor Seals by Walter L. Beasley
Keeper feeding Harbor Seals by Walter L. Beasley
Castle Garden and the Battery framed by shells - Not found
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
1901-1921
1909
1915
1915
1918
1919
1921-12-20
1921-12-20
1922-1941
1922-1941
1922-1941
1936 Oct 8
1955
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
Page 15
Finding Aid
Box
1
1
1
1
1
4
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Catalog #
CACL 43
CACL 45
CACL 47
CACL 48
CACL 49
CACL 276
Title
Feed Room by H. V. Letkemann
Water Mains
Pumps and Pipes
New York Aquarium Boiler
Pump Room
Statue of Liberty Lit up at Night
Dates
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
Subseries B: Lantern Slides and Glass Negatives
Box Catalog #
6
CACL 283
6
CACL 283
6
6
6
CACL 283
CACL 283
CACL 283
6
6
6
6
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
6
CACL 283
6
6
CACL 283
CACL 283
6
6
6
7
7
7
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
CACL
7
CACL 283
7
CACL 283
7
7
CACL 283
CACL 283
7
7
CACL 283
CACL 283
7
CACL 283
283
283
283
283
283
283
283
283
283
283
Title
19th American Institute Fair, Castle Garden, 1846 - Lantern
Slide
21st American Institute Fair, Castle Garden, 1848 - Lantern
Slide
Aquarium Exterior 1935 - Lantern Slide
Battery Park and Castle Garden - Lantern Slide
Battery Park and the Aquarium by the Beseler Lantern Slide
Co. - Lantern Slide
Castle Clinton Gateway (John McComb, Jr.) - Lantern Slide
Castle Clinton Plan Detail - Lantern Slide
Castle Garden (A. J. Davis) 1827 - Lantern Slide
Castle Garden as Immigration Depot - Interior (Leslie's
Weekly) - Lantern Slide
Castle Pinckney, State of South Carolina, 1821 - Lantern Slide
Date
undated
Castle Williams Exterior - Lantern Slide
Castle Williams on Governors Island by the Beseler Lantern
Slide Co. - Lantern Slide
Drawing, Unknown Fort - Lantern Slide
Fort Jay (Columbus) Gateway - Lantern Slide
Gun port, Castle Williams - Lantern Slide
Landing of Lafayette at Castle Garden, 1824 - Lantern Slide
Map of Governors Island - Lantern Slide
New York Battery Promenade, 1829 by Edward Van Altena Lantern Slide
NYC Flagstaff at the Battery, 1794 (Drayton View) by Edward
Van Altena - Lantern Slide
Plan of the North Battery at the foot of Hubert Street Lantern Slide
Unknown - Lantern Slide
View of the Battery and Castle Garden New York (Davis and
Imbert) - Lantern Slide
Battery Park and Castle Garden - Glass Negative
Castle Clinton National Monument, Aerial View 1954 - Glass
Negative
Castle Garden - Glass Negative
undated
undated
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
Page 16
Finding Aid
Box
7
7
7
7
7
7
Catalog #
CACL 283
CACL 283
CACL 283
CACL 283
CACL 283
CACL 283
7
CACL 283
7
CACL 283
7
7
CACL 283
CACL 283
7
CACL 283
7
CACL 283
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Title
Castle Garden and Battery Park - Glass Negative
Castle Garden Interior as Immigration Depot - Glass Negative
Drawing, Statue of Liberty with Scaffolding - Glass Negative
Interior of New York Aquarium - Glass Negative
Jenny Lind’s First Concert in America - Glass Negative
Landing of Gen. Lafayette at Castle Garden, New York 16th
August 1824 - Glass Negative
Plan for American Museum of Immigration, sheet 2 of 5,
1959 - Glass Negative
Plan for American Museum of Immigration, sheet 3 of 5,
1959 - Glass Negative
Plan of Castle Clinton, showing causeway - Glass Negative
Rendering, Interior of Restored Casemate, Castle Clinton Glass Negative
Rendering, View toward Restored Officers Quarters, Castle
Clinton - Glass Negative
View of Fort George with the City of New York from the SW Glass Negative
Page 17
Date
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
undated
Series IV: Textile, 1866
Extent: .1 linear feet
Scope and Content: This series comprises a cotton sampler showing examples of hand-embroidered
letters representing the Italian alphabet. The letters were embroidered using red thread. The alphabet
is repeated in eleven different styles. Animals and other symbols are sewn along the bottom. According
to the donor, it was made in 1866 by her mother, Tomasina Giuliano, who made it as a young girl in
Italy. She brought it to this country as an immigrant in 1898, when she came to Philadelphia to join her
husband, a custom tailor.
Box Catalog #
5
CACL 68
Description
Cotton Sampler with Italian alphabet
Dates
1866
Series V: Books, 1796-1929
Extent: 2 linear feet
Arrangement: The books in this series are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name and, if the
author’s name cannot be discerned, by the first word of the title.
Scope and content: The volumes in this series include books about Castle Garden, the New York
Aquarium and immigration. A few of the other titles were likely brought to the United States by
immigrants, although whether they arrived through Castle Garden is unclear. However, several
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 18
volumes have no discernible relation to any iteration of Castle Clinton, such as the Philosophy of
Rhetoric by George Campbell.
Box
Case
2
Catalog #
CACL 234
Author
Andrews,
William Loring
Title
The Iconography of the Battery and Castle
Garden. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons
Dates
1901
Case
2
CACL
78
Arnheim, Chaim
Halevi, Rabbi
1855
Case
2
CACL
148
Campbell,
George, D.D.
F.R.S.
Case
2
CACL
147
Campbell,
George
Pentateuch and Haftorot for all Weekends of the
Year: Numbers; with Prayers for Sabbath and
Sabbath of the New Moon. In Hebrew and
German. Prague: M. L. Landau
The Four Gospels, translated from the Greek.
With Preliminary Dissertations, and Notes
Critical and Explanatory. In Four Volumes. Vol.
IV. Aberdeen: J. Chalmers and Company
The Philosophy of Rhetoric. Edinburgh: George
Ramsay & Co.
Case
2
CACL
175
Clarke, Edward
Daniel, LLD
1813
Case
2
CACL
232
Case
2
CACL
151
Cleveland Guild
for the
Ethnographic
Exhibition in
Prague
D'Israeli, J.
Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia, and
Africa. Part the First. Russia, Tartary, and
Turkey. New York: Fay, & Co.
Ceska Osada a Jeji Spolkovy Zivot v Cleveland, O.
v Severni Americe - Czech Settlement and its
Social Life in Cleveland, O. in North America.
Cleveland, Ohio: Printing Freedom
1812
Case
2
CACL
149
Depons, F.
Case
2
CACL
67
Case
2
CACL
222
Case
2
Case
2
CACL
76
CACL
174
Case
2
CACL
173
The Calamities of Authors; including Some
Inquiries respecting their Moral and literary
Characters, Vol. 1. New York: James Eastburn
A Voyage to the Eastern Part of Terra Firma or
the Spanish Main, in South America during the
years 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804, in Three
Volumes. Vol. II. Translated by an American
Gentleman. New York: I. Riley and Company
Kancyonal aneb Citara: Noveho Zakona praveho
Boha - Hymnal or Zither: New Testament of the
true God. Hradec Kralove, Czech: Jan Pospisil
Immigration, and the Commissioners of
Emigration of the State of New York. New York:
The Nation Press
Machzor for the Three Holidays: Sukkot,
Passover and Shavuot. Lublin, Poland
The Port Folio, Vol. 4, Third Series. Philadelphia:
Bradford and Inskeep. Also published by
Abraham Inskeep of New York
Selected Lives of Foreigners, Eminent for Piety.
Third Edition. Philadelphia: Benjamin & Thomas
Kite
Kapp, Fredrich
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
1804
1808
1895
1806
1848
1870
1878
1814
1807
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Box
Case
2
Catalog #
CACL 150
Author
Sterne,
Laurence
Case
2
Case
2
CACL
233
CACL
52
Townsend,
Charles Haskins
United States.
Congress. House
Title
The Works of Laurence Sterne, A. M. in Five
Volumes. Volume Third. Harrisburgh [sic]: John
Wyeth
Guide to the New York Aquarium. New York:
New York Zoological Society
Report from Department of War, relative to the
Fortifications of the Ports and Harbours of the
United States; Message from the President of
the United States, accompanying a Report to
him, from the Secretary of War, of the 24th
instant, relative to the Military Establishment;
Message from the President of the United
States, transmitting a Report of the Secretary of
War, On certain measures which appear to him
to be necessary for the improvement of our
Military System
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Page 19
Dates
1805
1929
1796,
1798,
1800
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 20
RELATED MATERIALS NOTE
Castle Clinton National Monument. “Castle Clinton National Monument Administrative Records, 17651994.” Catalog Number CACL 282. National Park Service, Manhattan Sites.
Federal Hall National Memorial. “Federal Hall National Memorial Cataloged Archival Items, 1733-1989.”
Multiple Catalog Numbers. National Park Service, Manhattan Sites.
SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY
Castle Clinton National Monument. Washington, DC: National Park Service, 1953.
”Fete at Castle Garden.” New-York Evening Post. New York, September 15, 1824.
Griswold, William A. “The Archaeology of Military Politics: The Case of Castle Clinton.” Historical
Archaeology. 35 (4), p. 105-117. Pennsylvania: Society for Historical Archaeology, 2001.
Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.
Svejda, George J. Castle Garden as an Immigration Depot, 1855-1890. Washington, DC: National Park
Service, Division of History, 1968.
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/elis/castle_garden.pdf
Wall, Alexander J., Jr. “Short Chronology of the Aquarium Building at the Battery, New York City,
formerly known as Castle Clinton and Castle Garden.” Quarterly Bulletin. New York: New-York Historical
Society.
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Page 21
ADDED ENTRIES/ACCESS POINTS
Personal Names:
Bryant, William Cullen, 1794-1878
Campbell, George, 1719-1796
Carpenter, Solomon
Clarke, George, 1676-1760
Clifton, William
Clinton, DeWitt, 1769-1828
Currier, Nathaniel, 1813-1888
Davis, Alexander Jackson, 1803-1892
Dewey, Thomas E. (Thomas Edmund), 1902-1971
Dvorak, Frank
Evarts, William Maxwell, 1818-1901
Gelston, David
Imbert, Anthony, 1794 or 5-1834
Kossuth, Lajos, 1802-1894
Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de, 17571834
Lind, Jenny, 1820-1887
McComb, John, 1763-1853
Miller, George
Moses, Robert, 1888-1981
Rockwood, George Gardner, 1832-1911
Smillie, James, 1807-1885
Smith, John
Townsend, Charles Haskins, 1859-1944
Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972
Underhill, Irving, d. 1960
Watson, J.
Williams, Jonathan, 1750-1815
Corporate Names:
Currier & Ives
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper
G. W. Averell and Co.
Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion
Harper’s Weekly
McKim, Mead, & White
New York Aquarium
New York Zoological Society
New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Parks
New York (State). Commissioners of Emigration
New York (State) Legislature
United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
United States. National Park Service
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Finding Aid
Castle Clinton National Monument Cataloged Archival Items – Multiple Catalog #s
Subjects:
Aquariums
Castle Clinton (New York, N.Y.)
Castle Clinton National Monument (New York, N.Y.)
Castle Garden (New York, N.Y.)
Castle Williams (New York, N.Y.)
Emigration and immigration
Fortification
Music-halls
New York (City)--Parks--Battery
Geographic Names:
Governors Island (New York County, N.Y.)
New York Harbor (N.Y. and N.J.)
National Park Service: Manhattan Sites
Page 22