Insiders Events
Battle of Harlem Heights: Revolutionary War Tour
Explore the site of the first American victory of the Revolution after the Declaration of Independence, here in Manhattan!
Insiders Events
Battlegrounds of Central Park: From the Revolution to War of 1812
The British invasion of Manhattan didn't stop at Kip's Bay, but continued north into present-day Central Park. For America 250, explore this forgotten battlefield.
5 min read
Tour Highlights:
- A Forgotten Revolutionary Battlefield: Visit the site of a little known skirmish that took place on one of the darkest days of the American Revolution
- The Oldest Building in Central Park: Uncover a War of 1812 blockhouse hidden on a densely forested hilltop that most park visitors don't know exists
- A Lost Colonial Tavern: Track down remnants of landmark on what used to be the main road to New England, later the site of a Victorian convent
- Reused Fortifications: Learn about military forts built twice over by two different armies in two different wars
- The Man Who Made New York City: Sit on a bench that memorializes Andrew Haswell Green, the largely forgotten genius who not only shaped Central Park but literally invented the idea of New York City as we know it today
Photos by Mark Satlof and Untapped New York Contributors
About this Tour:
On September 15, 1776, British forces invaded Manhattan at Kip's Bay and sent the American army into a chaotic retreat northward. Few know what happened next.
The action continued northward. Colonel William Smallwood's elite Maryland troops finally halted the British advance in the rocky passes and high ground of what is now Central Park—buying just enough time to prevent the British from cutting off and destroying what remained of Washington's army.
This tour walks you through the northern end of Central Park above 96th street, tracing the action of that September day while uncovering layers of history most visitors walk past without knowing: stories of colonial roads and taverns, Revolutionary War skirmishing, War of 1812 fortifications, and hidden landmarks tucked into one of the world's most famous parks.
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Battlegrounds of Central Park: From the Revolution to War of 1812 is a companion tour to Battle of Kip's Bay: Revolutionary War Tour. They can be enjoyed separately or together, Kip's Bay is part 1, Central Park is part 2.
Itinerary
Meet Your Guide
Meet your guide at the entrance to Central Park on the southwest corner of 96th Street and Fifth Ave. Please arrive 10 minutes early.
Fifth Avenue and 96th Street
The entry point near where the old Kingsbridge Road veered west, just north of where Colonel Smallwood's Maryland troops made their first stand against the British advance on September 15, 1776.
The Mount — McGown's Pass Area
The former site of McGown's Tavern, a landmark on the colonial road to New England that later became Mount St. Vincent Convent.
Fort Fish and the Andrew Haswell Green Bench
The site of a War of 1812 fortification built to defend the city from a feared British return—and the location of a memorial bench honoring the largely forgotten genius behind both Central Park and the consolidation of New York City's five boroughs.
Fort Clinton
A second War of 1812 defensive position, part of the same network of earthworks built to protect Manhattan's northern approaches from the same enemy that had occupied the city a generation before.
Harlem Meer
The peaceful lake at the park's northeastern corner, set in a landscape that was active farmland and fiercely contested ground on in 1776.
Nutter's Battery
A rocky outcropping used as a British artillery position during the Battle for New York—and later incorporated into the War of 1812 defenses. One of the rare spots in the park with a documented military history spanning two wars.
The Blockhouse
The oldest surviving structure in Central Park, built during the War of 1812 and remarkably intact, hiding in plain sight above the Harlem Meer. Most visitors never make it here. You will.
Tour End — Central Park North and 7th Avenue
About Your Guide, Mark Satlof:
Mark Satlof, a fourth-generation New Yorker, has a deep connection to New York City. His family has lived in upper Manhattan for over a century. Although raised in Connecticut, Mark returned to New York to pursue a BA in History from Columbia University. He is an amateur historian and licensed NYC Sightseeing Guide with a focus on the American Revolution in New York City. An advocate for historic preservation, he is a board member of the preservation organization Save Harlem Now!
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