Fort Nassau

Fort Nassau was a wooden fortification on Castle Island featuring a square-shaped stockade with an 18-foot (5.5 meter) moat surrounding it. The structure was compact and housed two large cannons and eleven swivel guns positioned for defense of the trading settlement.

Dutch traders established the fortification in 1614 on Castle Island as the first European settlement in what would become the New York region. This location marked the beginning of permanent European presence in the area.

The fort served as a meeting place where Native Americans and Dutch traders exchanged goods, creating a hub of commerce and interaction along the riverbanks. People arrived by canoe and boat, making it a gathering point where different groups conducted business and built relationships.

The location sat on an island in the Hudson River and was accessible only by boat in its time. Visitors today can learn about the site through museums and historical markers located nearby.

The fort was abandoned after just four years due to repeated flooding from the Hudson River. Dutch traders relocated their post to higher ground and constructed a new settlement that would become better known to history.