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46-537: The Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Skating Centre rink opened in 1957 as an open-air skating rink. It was built with funds from the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. foundation, which made the name fitting. In 1960, the rink was extended in length from 185 to 215 feet, with its official 85 foot hockey width. At the time, this made it the second largest in the northeastern United States, behind one in West Point, New York . This

92-689: A 1905 drawing. Thirteen links are displayed at Trophy Point , one for each of the Thirteen Colonies . Also included are a swivel and clevis. The exhibit is maintained and preserved by the West Point Museum. A section of boom recovered from the river in 1855 is displayed at Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh, New York . Two links of the original chain are also at Raynham Hall in Oyster Bay, New York ,

138-495: A 4-acre (1.6 ha) parcel of land. U.S. Route 9W , combined with NY Route 218 run north-south through West Point. New York Route 293 also runs northeast-southwest through the post. Running through the lower portion of the town is U.S. Route 6 , combined with the upper extent of the Palisades Interstate Parkway . The New York Central Railroad well into the 1950s operated several passenger trains

184-575: A chain and boom were stretched across the river from Fort Montgomery on the west bank, at the lower entrance to the Highlands just north of the modern-day Bear Mountain Bridge, to Anthony's Nose on the east bank. Captain Thomas Machin headed the chain effort. In November 1776, a faulty link broke under stress induced by the river current, highlighting some of the difficulties of trying to chain

230-734: A day on the West Shore Railroad through the academy's Gothic style station; both the limited stop trains bound for Albany and the local trains to Newburgh and Kingston made stops at the station. Service finally ended in 1958. Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District is the local school district. James I. O'Neill High School is its high school. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) maintains elementary and middle schools for children of military personnel on-post at USMA, but sends high school aged students who are dependents of on-base military personnel to O'Neill. In March 2022 USMA's contract with O'Neill

276-567: A hundred men at West Point. However, it was still the largest post in the army in the immediate years after the Revolutionary War. Favoring West Point due to its location and defenses, Henry Knox and Alexander Hamilton made the first official recommendation to establish a military academy at West Point in 1790. However, Congress rejected the proposal, although earlier in 1790, New York merchant and American Revolution patriot Stephen Moore sold his estate (known as "Moore's Folly") to

322-462: A meeting with British Major John André to discuss information on West Point. A meeting was set for September 11, however, Arnold and André did not meet until September 21. Carrying the plans for West Point, André was captured on September 23 by three militiamen, and the information to West Point was found. After Arnold's betrayal, the fort, which was also known as Fort Arnold at the time, was renamed to Fort Clinton after General James Clinton. After

368-659: A resident of Goshen, New York , and one of New York's representatives to the Continental Congress , along with Gilbert Livingston , sounded the Hudson River and, as part of a Secret Committee of the " Committee of Safety ," recommended the placement of chains in strategic locations along the Hudson. Colonial forces eventually constructed three obstacles across the river: a chevaux-de-frise at northern Manhattan between Forts Washington and Lee in 1776; at

414-552: A series of letters to Clinton, one of which was written on July 12, making explicit the offer to surrender West Point to the British , later for a finalized offer of £ 20,000. On August 3, 1780, Arnold obtained command of West Point, which also gave him command of the American-controlled portion of the Hudson. Arnold then intentionally started weakening the fort's defenses, and through a letter sent to Clinton, proposing

460-455: A swivel, and a clevis) were attached across each raft then joined to create a continuous boom of chains and rafts once afloat. Captain Thomas Machin, the artillery officer and engineer who had installed the chain at Fort Montgomery, directed installation across the river on 30 April 1778. Both ends were anchored to log cribs filled with rocks, the southern at a small cove on the west bank and the northern at Constitution Island. The West Point side

506-608: Is located at 41° 23′ 42" N 73° 57' 18" W (41.395° N 73.955° W). According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 25.1 sq mi (65 km ); 24.3 sq mi (63 km ) land and 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km ) water. It is located in the town of Highlands and is in Orange County . West Point and the contiguous village of Highland Falls are on the western bank of

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552-689: The American Revolutionary War , and later called it "the most important Post in America" in 1781 following the war's end. West Point also was the site of General Benedict Arnold 's failed attempt at treason during the Revolutionary War. West Point was first occupied by the United States Armed Forces in January 1778, when Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons and his brigade occupied West Point. From then to

598-791: The Hudson River . West Point has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), with four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are cold with moderate snowfall. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 27.5 °F (−2.5 °C) in January to 74.1 °F (23.4 °C) in July. The average annual precipitation was approximately 51.47 in (1,310 mm) from 1991-2020; snow averaged at 35.7 in (91 cm) from 1991-2020, although this total may vary considerably from year to year. Extremes in temperature range from 106 °F (41 °C) on July 22, 1926, down to −7 °F (−22 °C) on January 22, 1984. As of

644-445: The census of 2020, there were 7,341 people, and 860 households residing in the CDP, with the average household size being 3.79 persons per household. The population density was 398.2 inhabitants per square mile (153.7/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 69.3% white , 5.4% African American , 0.2% Native American , 4.4% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , and 10.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.0% of

690-594: The 600-yard (550 m) chain contained iron links two feet (0.6 m) in length, weighing 140 to 180 pounds (64 to 82 kg). The links were carted to New Windsor , where they were put together and floated down the river to West Point on logs late in April. Including swivels , clevises , and anchors, the chain weighed 65 tons. For buoyancy, logs were cut into 16-foot (5 m) lengths, waterproofed, and joined by fours into rafts fastened to one another with 12-foot (3.7 m) timbers. Short sections of chain (10 links,

736-596: The Continental Army constructed an array of logs sunk underwater between Fort Washington on the island of Manhattan and Fort Lee across the river in New Jersey. Built to a design of Scottish engineer turned Colonial sympathizer Robert Erskine , the logs were intended to pierce and sink any British ships that passed over them. An opening was left for the passage of American ships. After the British learned of

782-547: The Hudson River in November 1775, which first recommended occupying the land. Construction of the fort was begun under Captain Louis de la Radiere as chief engineer of the fort, however, New York Governor George Clinton thought that Radiere was "lacking" in the knowledge needed to hold his position. Thus it was completed under Polish Colonel Tadeusz Kościuszko between 1778–1780; it was a key defensive fortification, overlooking

828-445: The Hudson from West Point to Constitution Island to impede the movement of British ships north of West Point. A second log boom (resembling a ladder in construction) spanned the river about 100 yards (90 m) downstream to absorb the impact of any ship attempting to breach the barrier. The Hudson River's changing tides, strong current, and frequently unfavorable winds created adverse sailing conditions at West Point. Compounding this,

874-478: The Hudson. Early on in May 1779, General Benedict Arnold had met with a Philadelphia merchant named Joseph Stansbury. Afterwards, Stansbury had gone to Sir Henry Clinton, to whom he offered Arnold's "services". Clinton had been pursuing a campaign to take control of the Hudson River, so he had been interested in the plans and information of the defenses of West Point and other defenses on the Hudson River. Arnold wrote

920-444: The Hudson. It was repaired and reset. After the British captured forts Montgomery and Clinton , a second fortress built opposite it at the mouth of Popolopen's Kill (today's Popolopen Creek) on its south bank, on 6 October 6 1777, they dismantled the chain. Free to do so, they raided upriver as far as Kingston , then the capitol of New York State, putting the torch to it and burning all but several of its hundreds of buildings to

966-533: The United States, following an Act of Congress that solidified the sale on September 10, 1790, for $ 11,085, which meant Congress had gained full possession of the fort. The United States Military Academy was established at West Point in 1802. It is the nation's oldest service academy, and is metonymically called "West Point" as well. West Point has the distinction of being the longest continuously occupied United States military installation. West Point

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1012-612: The chain." Polish engineer and Patriot volunteer Thaddeus Kościuszko contributed to the system of fortifications at West Point. After the war, part of the Great Chain was saved for posterity and the rest relegated to the West Point Foundry furnaces near Cold Spring, New York , to be melted down. A saved portion was first displayed at the West Point ordnance compound, along with a captured mortar, as shown in

1058-539: The conclusion of the American Revolution, West Point was used as a storage facility for cannon and other military property used by the Continental Army and until November 28, 1779, was used as the temporary headquarters to George Washington, who called it "the most important Post in America" in 1781. Viewing a standing army as "dangerous", Congress demobilized American forces but left fewer than

1104-407: The end of the war. A great iron chain was laid across the Hudson at this point in 1778 in order to prevent British Navy vessels from sailing further up the Hudson River, which was never tested by the British. The site comprised multiple redoubts , as well as Fort Putnam , situated on a high hill overlooking the river. Named after its builder, Revolutionary War General and engineer Rufus Putnam ,

1150-418: The fort is still preserved in its original design. Parliament sent instructions to General Sir Henry Clinton to force George Washington out of West Point. Clinton decided to capture the strategically important posts Stony Point and Verplanck's Point, which were twelve miles south of West Point. Clinton captured the forts on June 1, 1779. To block the British advance, Washington moved his troops further up

1196-559: The ground. Governor George Clinton , a member of the committee assigned by the New York Convention to devise a means of defending the Hudson, was heartened as the British had never attempted to run ships through the chain. He concluded that the basic idea of obstructing the river seemed sound. After Captain Machin recovered from wounds from battle with the British, he began work on the stronger Great Chain at West Point, which

1242-502: The lower entrance to the Hudson Highlands , from newly constructed Fort Montgomery on the west bank at Popolopen Creek just north of the modern-day Bear Mountain Bridge to Anthony's Nose on the east bank in 1776–1777; and between West Point and Constitution Island in 1778, known as the Great Chain. A fourth, a cheval-de-frise started in 1776 between Plum Point on the east bank and Pollepel Island north of West Point,

1288-547: The name of Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. , while the other was posthumously named after Patrick Butler, a local resident who was deeply involved in the project. West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States . Located on the Hudson River in New York , General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 during

1334-458: The navigation of Hudson river was at West Point." A fort there, Fort Clinton, named after the governor 's brother, Colonel James Clinton (whose brigade built the main fort), was built as well. The southern and western walls were nine feet high and twenty feet thick. Three redoubts and batteries on the south were named Forts Meigs, Wyllys, and Webb. West Point was staffed by a small garrison of Continental Army Soldiers from early in 1776 through

1380-534: The opening from a local resident, they successfully passed through the barrier several times. The British successfully captured both forts in the Battle of Fort Washington on November 16, 1776, and Battle of Fort Lee on November 20, putting the defensive barrier in their hands. This change had little impact, as the nascent Continental Navy lacked ships of the size and power of the British, leaving it to resort to small and more maneuverable vessels regardless. In 1776

1426-709: The population is below the poverty line . In 1937, the West Point Bullion Depository was constructed and in 1938 opened to store silver bullion . In 1988, it became the West Point Mint , as a branch of the United States Mint and gained official status as a branch of the United States Mint on March 31 of that year. The West Point Mint has a deep storage of 54,067,331.379 fine troy ounces of gold. It sits on

Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Skating Rink - Misplaced Pages Continue

1472-426: The population. The age distribution is 23.5% under the age of 18, and 0.4% who were 65 years of age or older. There were 860 households, out of which 79.5% were a married couple family household, 16.4% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 3.3% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household size was 3.79. The median income for a household in the CDP was $ 121,219. About 2.3% of

1518-562: The present, West Point has been occupied by the United States Army. It comprises 25.1 sq mi (65 km ) land and water including the campus of the United States Military Academy , which is commonly called "West Point" as well. West Point is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the town of Highlands in Orange County , located on the western bank of the Hudson River. The population

1564-479: The rink was home to Barnstable High School 's after prom celebration. The rink was used until 2008 when it was temporarily relocated to the high school because of the demolition of the rink. In the early 2000s, there were plans to replace the rink with one rink next door in the Hyannis Youth and Community Center . The original plans for the center consisted of one rink and an adjacent youth center. The plan

1610-692: The river's narrow width and sharp "S-Curve" there forced any large ship to tack in order to navigate it. Cannon were placed in forts and artillery batteries on both sides of the river to attack ships when they were slowed to a halt by the Patriot barrier placed there. The chain was constructed over six weeks at the Sterling Iron Works in Warwick , Orange County , of chain links from Long Pond Iron Works in Ringwood, New Jersey . When completed,

1656-569: The turn in the Hudson River and the Great Chain . On January 27, 1778, Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons and his brigade, including elements of Connecticut Colony 's patriot militia , crossed an iced over Hudson River and climbed to the plain on West Point. General George Washington watched the construction of the fort closely and considered the fort to be General Alexander McDougall 's "first priority". In 1778, Major General Israel Putnam wrote, "The place agreed upon to obstruct

1702-492: Was 7,341 at the 2020 census . It is part of the New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ–PA Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT–PA Combined Statistical Area . The site for West Point was originally picked because of the pronounced S-curve in the Hudson River at that point during the American Revolutionary War , and was the subject of a committee reporting on fortifications in

1748-461: Was alright for skating during calm weather, but it was impossible to skate during a storm. Early skaters even had to shovel the ice after a snowfall. This led to it being enclosed in 1965. Although the rink was enclosed, it was open to the outside warm air. This led to fog forming on some nights. It was also unable to be used during the summer, a thing that most modern rinks do not have to do. This shortcomings led to replacement plans. For many years,

1794-415: Was begun but abandoned. The first two were promptly captured by the British, while the Great Chain, the largest and most important of the projects, was reset each spring until the end of the war. Attention was concentrated on the West Point area because the river narrowed and curved so sharply there that ships slowed in navigating the passage by shifting winds, tides, and current made optimal targets. In 1776

1840-524: Was completed in 1776 and shortly seized by the British; another was started in 1776 between Plum Point on the east bank and Pollepel Island north of West Point but abandoned in 1777 in favor of completion of the Great Chain nearby the following year. Even before the April 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, both the Americans and British knew that passage on the Hudson River

1886-406: Was constructed and installed in 1778. Another cheval-de-frise was undertaken across the Hudson between Plum Point on the east bank and Pollepel Island north of West Point. The defenses were never fully completed, and its importance was overshadowed by completion of the Great Chain at West Point the following year. In the spring of 1778, a heavy chain supported by huge log rafts was stretched across

Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Skating Rink - Misplaced Pages Continue

1932-603: Was destroyed by British forces in the aftermath of the Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery in October 1777. The more significant and successful was the Great Chain, constructed in 1778 and used through war's end in 1782. Two other barriers across the river, referred to as chevaux-de-frise , were undertaken by the Colonials; the first, between Fort Washington on the island of Manhattan , and Fort Lee in New Jersey ,

1978-403: Was eventually scrapped and new plans incorporated the usage of two rinks, one gymnasium, a youth center, and a raised jogging track around the gymnasium. The rink held its last public skate on March 22, 2009. This brought to an end 52 years of skating at the rink. The rink was eventually torn down, with a marker was placed in the spot of the former rink's center ice. One of the rinks will carry on

2024-703: Was protected by the Chain Battery and the Constitution Island side by the Marine Battery. A system of pulleys, rollers, ropes, and mid-stream anchors were used to adjust the chain's tension to overcome the effects of river current and changing tide. Until 1783, the chain was removed each winter and reinstalled each spring to avoid destruction by ice. The British never attempted to run the chain, in spite of Benedict Arnold claiming in correspondence with them that "a well-loaded ship could break

2070-559: Was renewed. Hudson River Chain The Hudson River Chains were a series of chain booms constructed across the Hudson River at West Point by Continental Army forces from 1776 to 1778 during the American Revolutionary War . These served as defenses preventing British naval vessels from sailing upriver and were overseen by the Highlands Department of the Continental Army . The first chain

2116-425: Was strategically important to each sides’ war effort. The Americans were desperate to control the river, lest New England be divided from the rest of the colonies. The immediate American plan was to slow or block ship traffic on the river by attacking British vessels with cannon and mortars from both shores. This anticipated batteries at both existing and planned defensive fortifications. In late 1776 Henry Wisner ,

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