Description: In 1776, Flagstaff Fort was established on Staten Island by American forces. Located on Signal Hill, the fort had previously been the site of a 1663 Dutch blockhouse. In June of 1776, the Continental Army occupied the fort and used it as a means to repel British advances into New York. However, the fort was eventually taken by the British in 1776, along with the city at large. By July 1779, the British had built a redoubt with gun platforms for the 26 cannons on the site. By 1782, the fort had been expanded to include five different bastions. In 1783, Fort Flagstaff was evacuated, but, in 1806, the site became home to Fort Tompkins, which, along with other nearby fortifications, eventually grew into the even larger Fort Wadsworth.