Battery, The

The, a park of twenty-one acres at the southernmost point of the island of Manhattan. It was formerly the site of a Dutch fort. Early prints show that it was surrounded by a large number of aristocratic Dutch residences, some of which may still be seen. Castle Garden, a little island a few feet off shore, at one time occupied by a fortification, and up to 1890 used as reception quarters for steerage immigrants, has been united with the Battery by a filling of earth, and now forms a part of a public park. The new quarters are now devoted to the purposes of a public aquarium and museum. The Battery is a sightly, attractive spot of interest even apart from its historical associations. See New York City; Central Park