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Governors Island

Governors Island

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Governors Island 173 acres (70 hectares), in Upper New York Bay, S of Manhattan island, SE N.Y. Bought from the Native Americans by the Dutch in 1637, it was the site of an early New Netherlands settlement (1624). The island received its name in 1698 (officially 1784), when the British set it aside as the colonial governors' residence. Historic landmarks include Fort Jay (completed c.1800) and Castle Williams (1811), a Civil War military prison. Governors Island served as a U.S. military base until 1966, then becoming the east coast headquarters and training center of the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1988 it was the site of a meeting between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The Coast Guard decommissioned its base in 1997. The island was sold to New York for a dollar in 2003; New York City assumed primary responsibility for the island in 2010. The historic fortifications there are now a national monument. (see National Parks and Monuments , table.)

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Governors Island

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Governors Island, New York/USA Pagganck, Nooten The Dutch changed the Native American name to Nooten in 1637, but in 1698 it was taken over for use by colonial governors, hence the name.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Governors Island." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Governors Island." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-GovernorsIsland.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Governors Island." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-GovernorsIsland.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Pataki digs in on Governors Island; Asks Bush for help in risky move.(Brief...
Magazine article from: Crain's New York Business; 8/13/2001
RFP issued for Gov's Island.(Governors Island Preservation and Education...
Magazine article from: Real Estate Weekly; 11/5/2003
Coast Guard Set to Leave Governors Island
Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 3/12/1996

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