Constitution Island Reenactment Weekend 2010

The Launch was also contacted by a different sort of organization this summer, The Constitution Island Association.

“Constitution Island Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization in Putnam County, New York, established in 1916. Our mission is to Partner with the United States Military Academy to provide the West Point community and other visitors with rewarding educational experiences based both on the legacy of the Warner Sisters and on the Island’s history, ecology and unique location on the Hudson River. Constitution Island is located on the east side of the Hudson River directly opposite West Point and is connected to the east shore by Constitution Marsh. The Marsh provides foraging, nesting and resting habitat to more than 200 species of birds and 30 species of fish, plus scores of other vertebrate and invertebrate species. During the Revolutionary War, the island was named Constitution Island by the American colonists who were fighting for their rights under the British Constitution. The Continental Congress, believing that the Hudson River should be fortified against the British, appointed George Washington in May 1775 to make plans for setting up defenses in this area. The Constitution Island fortifications, Redoubts 5, 6 and 7, were begun in 1775 under the direction of Bernard Romans. In April of 1778, the great chain of forged iron links, supported by huge floating logs, was stretched across the Hudson River from West Point to Constitution Island.”

Launch 5 travelled up to Constitution Island, docked at their dock, and gave tours of the vessel during the weekend in support of the organization’s fundraising efforts to restore key historical buildings on the island and to raise awareness about the environmental conservation efforts of the organization.