Castle William on Governors Island - a fascinating place to visit
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Governors Island itself is quite the offbeat place. It’s been a military outpost and point of protection for New York for centuries, regardless of who “owned” the city at the time - Dutch, British, or American.
President Clinton designated 22 acres of the Island, including the two great forts, as the Governors Island National Monument in January 2001. A little over a year later President George W. Bush, then Governor George Pataki, and Mayor Bloomberg announced that the United States of America would sell Governors Island to the people of New York to be used for “public benefit.”
But there’s an even greater oddity It seems there was once a tiny hamlet on the island, a town called Goverthing - for reasons unknown - and even odder, according to Archdig, it was evacuated in 1954, and the town buried under sand, and forgotten until “discovered” by a team of archeologists from Flanders (Belgium).
Professor Luc D’Hoe, who is leading the archeological team, noted that they’ve uncovered the remains of “ old church, factory, and gas station.”
But the exhibit is not without controversy. The New York Times notes that Goverthing never appeared on any New York City historical map or been noted by a single historian.
The discovery began with the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) and their demolishing of the non-historic buildings that have become deteriorated.
Clearly an offbeat story about an offbeat place. Regardless, Governors Island is a fascinating place to visit.
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Comments
This is really a fascinating story. Just when we think we know our history, a new story comes at us, and from a recent time when you'd think there were no surprises. Thanks for all the details.
I'll lay $5 on hoax. Or at least an incorrect identification.
This is "performance art" at best and a cheesy hoax at worst. As somebody who lived there and went to school there I can tell you without a doubt that there was no hill, mound, or rise in ground level where the "dig" is purported to be located (it was in fact a soccer field on one side of the road and a parade ground on the other - both very flat). Unfortunately, this is a case of "art" that obscures history and fails to admit the hoax that is being perpetrated. At least with other more honest hoaxers (think P.T. Barnum and crop circles) an admission of the hoax is made at the end of the exhibit or when somebody calls their bluff. There will be those who will be fooled into believing this hoax is 'real' and use it as an example of the military as the proverbial bad guys as well as an example of 'lost history' that isn't history at all. Oh well, maybe this "hoax"/"art" will at least attract more people to look at the real history of Governor's Island from the 18th to 20th centuries.
Thanks for your comments and perspectives. I suppose no one wants to say "hoax" in the media, but there is plenty of questions.
Governors Island does have fascinating history and that story can stand on its own. I'm not sure a fabricated tale is at all necessary, and it could make the preservation organization look a bit silly.
Confirmed. This is a hoax. I paid $5.00 so someone can play a joke on me. I did think it very odd that "scientists" would allow the public to walk over recently uncovered "artifacts", let alone play with them?. I marked these "artifacts" on my gps on a hunch and confirmed in Google Earth (the old school is still visible) that there is no way these items were buried. They are clearly above ground level of the old Coast Guard playing field.
Wow David! Thanks for doing the research and letting us know.
This is an Art exhibition from Belgian (flanders) artist Geert Hautekiet Just look it up men
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