The former Fort Michie is located on Great Gull Island, in Suffolk County, New York (Congressional District NY-01).

In 1896, the War Department began construction of a coastal defense site on Great Gull Island. Fort Michie was established in 1899 and used as a coastal battery from 1900 to 1948. Ammunition for anti-aircraft guns was stored and used onsite, along with coastal artillery ammunition. Between 1900 and 1926, six batteries were constructed on the property. The former Fort Michie initially had facilities for 450 soldiers; however, in the period between World War I (WW I) and World War II, the property was manned by a caretaker force only. The former Fort Michie also served as sub-post of Fort Terry prior to and during WWI, and to Fort Horatio Gouverneur (H.G.) Wright following WWI. In 1949, the property was declared excess and was transferred to the War Assets Administration.  

 The following is a site-specific history and munitions response site (MRS) summary associated with the Michie Batteries – Water Acreage project:

 The Michie Batteries – Water Acreage MRS is the water portion of the overlapping range fans extending from the following six coastal defense gun emplacements that were constructed at the former Fort Michie:

• Battery Palmer, which had two, 12-inch breech loading rifles that were operational from 1900 to 1948;

• Battery North, which had two, 10-inch breech loading rifles that were operational from 1900 to 1917, and one, 16-inch gun operational from 1923 to 1948;

• Battery Benjamin, which had two, 6-inch guns that were operational from 1908 to 1948;

• Battery Maitland, which had two, 6-inch guns that were operational from 1908 to 1948;

• Battery Pasco, which had two, 3-inch rapid firing guns that were operational from 1908 to 1948; and

• Battery 912, which had two, 90mm Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat guns that were operational from 1943 to 1948.

 The munitions associated with this MRS are small to large caliber munitions and small arms ammunition.

During field activities for the 2009 Site Inspection (SI) Report, the MRS was not evaluated due to the depth and dynamic nature of the ocean. The 2009 SI Report notes that in the 1970s an employee of the American Museum of Natural History found one inert, small to medium caliber shell, assumed to have washed ashore as a result of tidal action. 

The land areas of the site were found to require no action; however, further investigation is recommended for the water areas, subject to availability of funds.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is conducting work at the site under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program for Formerly Used Defense Sites (DERP-FUDS).

To read a fact sheet on the project Click Here.

 
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Gregory Goepfert, Project Manager,  at (917) 790-8235.