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Home My WebLink AboutPI-1HISTORIC AND NATURAL DISTRICTS INVENTORY FORM DIVISION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION NEW YORK STATE PARKS AND RECREATION ALBANY, NEW YORK (518) 474..0479 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY UNIQUE SITE NO. QUAD. SERIES NEG. NO. PI-1 YOUR NAME: Town of Southold/SPLIA DATE: March 1988 Town Hall, Main Rd. 516 765 1892 YOUR ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: Southold LI NY 11971 ORGANIZATION (if any): Southold Town Community Development Office 1. NAME OF DISTRICT: Plum Island /former Fort Terry 2. COUNTY: Suffolk TOWN/CITY: Southold VILLAGE: Plum Island 3. DESCRIPTION: Plum Island is located 1~ miles east of Orient Point, the first in a string of islands that extend eastward from the tip of the North Fork, including Great Gull, Little Gull, and Fishers Island. Plum Island consists of 840 acres, is roughly 3 miles in length, and varies from a narrow spit to almost 2 miles in width. 13 early 20th century buildings constructed as part of a coastal defense fort remain on the island, and are now used as part of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Plum Island Animal Disease Center. The remainder of the island is in a natural state of vegetation and tree growth, with several deteriorated gun em- placements along its shores. 2 are located at the east end of the island, and 1 is on the shore of the west end, south of Building #257 (see map). A ferry services the island from the mainland - see attachment - 4. SIGNIFICANCE: see attachment 5. MAP: '+_ see attachments - NYS DOT Plum Island quad HP-2 PI-1 Plum Island Animal Disease Center, U.S.Dept. Agriculture, 1982. 6. SOURCES: Master Plan, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Perkins & Will, June 20, 1977. The Suffolk Times, November 12, 1987, p. 15. Interview, Edward H. Diamond, Chief, Engineering & Plant Management, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, March 1988. Correspondence, Edward H. Diamond, January-February 1988. Headquarters First U.S. Army, Information Section, Release No. 15-58, January 14, 1958. Lights and Legends, by Harlan Hamilton, 1987, pp. 141-144. -see attachment- 7. THREATS TO AREA:---' BY ZONING [] BY ROADS [] BY DEVELOPERS [] Rehabilitation threatens existing BY DETERIORATION ~ Oq'HER strucEur~s. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Because Plum Island is restricted land, these buildings have not fallen to vandalism. However, several Fort Terry structures have been demolished since the 1950's. Proposals for expanding the Plum Island Animal Disease Center may threaten existing structures. A Master Plan of 1977 called for the demolition of many of the remaining structures included in this survey. 8. LOCAL ATTITUDES TOWARD THE AREA: The entire island is inaccessible to the general public, because of the sensitive nature of the research work done on Plum Island and the need to protect the farm animal population on the mainland from biological diseases tested on the island. In an effort to create a link with the general public that does not threaten the research work conducted on the island, a visitor's center is now planned for the office building at the Plum Island ferry slip in Orient Point. 9. PHOTOS: see attachments Form prepared by Kurt Kahofer, research assistant. Plum Island PI-1 # 3 - (continued) office building at Orient Point. A light house which overlooks Plum Gut on the NW corner of the island is being restored by the USDA. Plum Island is noted for its birdlife with one of the best rookeries for egrets, herons, and ibis, and osprey platforms erected by the USDA. In addition, a stand of white cedar is reported to have been found on Plum Island. Plum Island PI-I The significance of Plum Island is multi-faceted, and encompasses more than three centuries of historical material including Native Indian settlements; agricultural use and homesteads that date from 1659 to the late 19th century which are no longer standing; seacoast fortifications that date from the Spanish-American War of 1898, WWI, and WWII; and presently, as the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Plum Island Animal Disease Center. The Animal Disease Center was begun in 1952 by the Army Chemical Corps and opened in 1956. It was between these dates that many of the Fort Terry structures were rehabilitated for their present functions. These are all early 20th century buildings constructed prior to WWI. The Plum Island Animal Disease Center has become an internationaJly recognized facility for the treatment and diagnosis of animal diseases, attracting leading scientists in the fields of genetic research and biological virus studies. Owned by the U.S. Govern- ment, access to Plum Island is highly restricted. In addition, an important light house was established here in 1826. The present structure replaced that tower in 1869, with a powerful 14 mzle light range that guided vessels through the entrance to Lon~ Island Sound and Gardiners Bay. It is now unmanned. The remaining 13 structures from Fort Terry (named for Maj. Gen. Alfred H. Terry of Civil War fame) are grouped near the middle of Plum Island except for the gun emplacements and the Mine Storage building. They are a largely intact, and as a result, highly unique collection of the type of seacoast fortifi- cations that existed at other strategic sites around the coast. This was called the Eastern Defense Shield (EDS). The EDS was divided into Harbor Defenses. The buildings on Plum island formed an important part of the Harbor Defense of Long Island Sound, and also it was here that military units were sent in order to be trained for coastal defense operations. The Dept. of Agriculture is to be commended for the preservation of these historically sig- nificant buildings, which are suitable for National ~eRister listing. OF,,. Plum Island #:5 NYS DOT Plum Island Quad PI-1 p[-[ # 6 - continued - The Peconic Bay Shopper, 12/3/1986, p. 18. 27. Historical and Descriptive Sketches of Suffolk County, R.M. Bayles, 1874, pp. 388-389. 1949 Photo, by Harvey Weber, Fort Terry. Chace, Map of Suffolk County, 1858. Beers, Comstock, Atlas of Long Island, 1873. E. Belcher Hyde, Atlas of Suffolk County, N.Y., Side, Sound Shore, 1909. Vol. 2, North PI-1 Plum Island Master Plan, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Perkins..-& Will, 1977 _.~_ , ~':"'_ .......... Plum Island E.Belcher Hyde, Atlas of Suffoik Countv, N.Y. S.[de, Sound Shore,. 1909. /Vol. 2, North Plum Island PI-1 SUFFOLK CO. L.}. / Beers, Comstock, Atlas o£ Long Island, 1873. Chace, Map of'Suflolk County, ~858. Plum Island HEADQUART~ F~IST U.S. Information Section, Bldg. ~overncrs Island, Hew York Telt ~Iltehall 4-7700, .RELEASE 1~0. 15-58 14 Ja~Aary 1~58 FOR II. EDgE RELEASE ~OVERNORS~IS{.~..?, N.Y., 14 January....About 120 tulles long, with an area ox 1',~3 sq~re miles, Long Island, New York, has played & vital historical role as one of F, merica's most heavily defended areas. ~eography has placed Long Island in a position of importance for three metropolitan areas i~ three states. Ever since Now York, ~ew Haven and Providence bocam~ importance to this country, Long Island a~d its smeller islands have become mili%~rily important to tho throe cities. Tn tho outer ring of ~.n elaborate dofonso system around those three cities wore eight military inst~llations which have boon vital cogs in tho wheels of thc ~crican defense of fort, ~ a key to thc changing weapons mad missions in tho U.S. defense pattern.. Reading from north to south those installations wore rich in history, tradition and legend, o~d yet offcon ~m~own to thc residents of tho area. In thc north, Fort Mcmsfiold, in hhode lslo~d, was 60 acres in size. Fort Trumbull, Connecticut, had ~n ~roa of 15 acres, 2 rods, 27 poles and 2 1~. accor~ng to tho records. Fort Michio, on 6rcmt ~ull ~sland, had an area of only 10 ~cros. Fort H.G. Wright, thc #mother" for most of those posts had a total area of 334 acres- most of FiscEors Island. Fort Tcrry~ o,n l~lu~ Island~ was tho l~_r~ost of tho eight posts, totalin~ 7~7 acres. Fort '~ylor, on C-.~rdincrs Point to~cals about 14 acres. Camp Wikoff, which was in tho Fort Pond area, had thc~ shortest lifo, but bric£ ngtion~l fa~. C~p ~ero, on 2he south shore off Long Island at Mcntauk Point was the most m~sterious, th~ most recently active post and tho most heavily c~mou£1aged. Fort M~nsfield, s~tumted on Napantree Point, near Watch Hill, Rhode Isled, was part of an original coastal defense ~twork of Long Island a r~ Long Island Sound, Named in honor of M~Jor ~eneral J.F. ~sfiold, a veterun of t~ W~-r with Mexico and the Civil War, tho fort was built during thc period of public concern preceding tho Spanish-Ame~ican War of 15~8~ Recognizing the importance of coastal defense guns at this point tho federal g~vornment maintained the In tho early years of the First World War the Army sent Fort h~nsfield ~he l~rgest coastal defense guns it had. A_*ter World War y, the federal goverament relax~ some of th~ vigil along ~be coasts, ~ Fort Mansfield was authorized for sale on ~rch 4, 1~2~o East Hampton Free Library, File L207. ~ L~L~I~D~B E..~TERi~ 3HIELD Plum IsJand For~ H.G, Wright on Ftschsrs Island In the Block Isled Sound co~-nded the sound and ~ardiners B~y to the south. It was ~med honor of ~Jor ~n~al Horatio G. Wri~, ~ d~sti~ished Civil c~der ~d Chief of ~ ~i~ers ~om 1879-18~. T~ islmnd ~d ~eds of tresses seek~ ~sitors, for legend ~s it that the notorious Captain Kidd b~ed booty on F~er~ Is~nd. To date no one ~s fo~d ~y sign of the tre~ee T~ strategic tmpo~o of tho tsl.nd ~s ~rst reoognized in 17~ when a slg~l beacon w~s ere~od on ~ospect Hill. The ~ac~ ~s ~si~ned to ~ t~ city of New London of ~ ener, y a~ack. In 1898 the red,al ~r~ent p~c~scd a large tra~ of l~d on western end of tho isl=.d for cs~bl[s~nt of coast defense fortifications. T~ cor~t~ction of Fo~ H.G. ~ri~ht, which be~n w~th the erection of the ~ euplacenents in 1898, cc~t the ~.~r~nt a total of about 8 ~llion dollars. It beca~ the ho=dquu~er~ of t~ Co~st ~fense of Lon~ Island, with Fo~s Terry, ~chie, T~mbull, H~sfield ~d Tyler ~ u~ts in the Fo~ H.6. Wright se~ed as thc coast ~nd hea~ a~illery ce~er for ~ ~ ~ation~l ~d Units ~d r~est Point Cadets. Of ~1 the installatio~ within thc outer rin~ of metropolitan defenses, Fo~ H.S. Wright ~ t~ most self-s~flc[ent ~d ~ T~ ~t~ll~tion ~s e~ip~d with its ~,u electric power system ~d telephone sys~m~ which was hocked ~to t~ "maitland" system. The fo~ ~d its ~ fa~ ~nd its ~n tr~s~aticu system. In 1949 Fo~ H.G. Wrigl_t w~ s ter~d inactive ~d ~s authorized for sale. To d=te this valu=ble piece of prope~y ~s not been sold. Fo~ Ter~ on ~ Isl~d,_w=s ~ch b~ler t~ ~ho ~her "s~eld" i~t~ior~. Estubltshed ir, 1898 ~d ~ed in honor of ~Jor ~nerul ~frod H. Terry who co~dod Union ~rces ~r~ the Civil the po~t was garrisoned ~ the Coast ~il~ ~m tM ~te of acti~tion. ~in~ t~ . e,~er months ~its se~ to Fort H.G. Wright were sent In turn to Fo~ Te~y for su~plementa~ tr~i~ ~n the tec~i~o of Co~ t'~' ~fenso operations. At the end of World W~r II Fort Terry ~s in~ctivuted, and ~s =[ntained o~y by a s=ll o=~4 detac~c~ from Fo~ W~g~. It re~ine~l on this .~-act~ve status ~til a~er ¥~orld W~ II when u~ milit~y ~rso=.el were with~a~ ~m the post it was lo~ in the hands of u fcw c~viliu caretakers. In 1952, hewer=, the A~ Chemic~ ~,:rps took pose~sl~'n of the ~d utilized them for research ar.'l test~n~ p~poscs. In J~y of 1954 the ~ turned over all ~%s f~cili%ies to t~ ~p~tm~t of A~ic~t~e, w~ch ~d' contracted to t~k~ c, utrol of t~ re~ of ~e l~l~d ut the sa= time. Tho m~tt-~llion dolor ,~lml Disease L~or=to~ Cf ~e D~ent of A&r~culture now occupies all of East Hampton Free Library, File L=O/. Plum Island I PI-1 Plum Island PI-1 ZI6 PLUM ISLAND AND FISHER'S ISLAND Prior to 1909 A View of Fort Terry, Plum I,land A Big Gun at Fort Terzy, Plum Island Cottages on Fisher's Island Ruther. Lon8 Island Today, 1909. Plum Island Plum Island PI-1 Perkins & Will Plum Island A~m~l Disease Center Greenport, L.I., New York DATE BUILT FUNCTIONAL USE Floor Level Type & Condition EXITS Location & Adequacy EXTER/OR Type & Condition INTEP~IOR Type & Condition HVAC Type & Condition PLUMBING Services & Condition ELECTRICAL-POWER Service & Distribution ~T.~CTRICAL-LIGHTING Type & Condition SPECIA_~ SYSTEMS EVALUATION RECOMMENDATION Existing Building Evaluation Building 5 - Electrical Breaker House June 20, 1977 Early 1900's; rehabilitated 1953 Funct/onal Use Gross Height Area Fi. to Fi. Houses submarine cable terminal, 160 GSF 6'-0" l~eaker house Load-bearing brick. Adequate. Brick in fair condition. Brick in fair condition. No services. Power connection direct to LILCO overhead 13.2 KV distribution line. Incandescent (the navigation light in Plum Gut is fed from this building). None Building is Ln only fair condition as it is some 70 years old. Retain for existing functions. Master Plan, Plum Island Animal Disea~'e Center. Perkins ~*~{ill, 1977. C16