Hopefully, many of you will have heard of the recent release of the report created by the Preserve Plum Island Coalition. Plum Island lies about eight miles south of the Connecticut shoreline in Long Island Sound. The 840-acre island is the site of Plum Island Animal Disease Center, run by the federal government, and is off-limits to the public. However, the government has plans to move its lab to Kansas by 2023 and sell the island.
The "Envision Plum Island" report goes into great detail regarding the great biological diversity and rich habitats Plum Island provides. I have been to the island a handful of times, and its natural beauty and wildlife are readily apparent. There is another side to Plum Island, however, that few people know about.
From 1899 until about 1946, Plum Island was home to Fort Terry, a U.S. Army Coast Artillery base. This fort, along with forts on Great Gull Island and Fishers Island, was built to prevent enemy battleships from raiding the Connecticut coastline and using Long Island Sound as a back-door route to New York City. The fort was equipped with a variety of large guns, and at one point was the most heavily armed location on the East Coast. The big guns are long gone, but many other artifacts remain.
Since the Army left the island, it has been in the hands of various government agencies and public access has been very limited. While the gun batteries and other structures have been left to decay, the lack of public access has protected these remains. There are many details remaining here that are missing or vandalized at similar forts with public access. Details such as an Army coal-burning stove soldiers would have used to keep warm in the winter and signs reminding soldiers not to smoke in the magazines still remain. Details such as these will help historic researchers in the future.
One other significant feature of Fort Terry is its cantonment area, the area where the soldiers lived when they were not on alert. Many of these historic structures still remain, including the chapel, hospital, guardhouse, and two large barracks buildings. These structures are a significant resource that could support artists-in-residence, museums, classrooms and accommodations for researchers, students, and other visitors.
I have been involved in historic preservation and fortification research for two decades. I have visited sites across the United States, Europe and the Pacific. In my experience, Fort Terry is unique in its level of preservation due to its lack of public access. This is a unique resource that needs to be protected. Please take a moment to contact U.S. Senators Blumenthal and Murphy to encourage them to push to stop the sale of this beautiful island.
Chris Zeeman is a resident of North Stonington.
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August 24, 2020 at 08:56AM
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Don't lose Plum Island's rich defense history - theday.com
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