The Barracks at City Hall Park

Twice as large as Trinity Church, the Barracks were constructed in 1757 and slept 800 men who otherwise may have been quartered in New Yorkers’ homes. The site served as an obvious location for Patriot citizens to protest British rule — in May 1766, the New York chapter of the Sons of Liberty erected a liberty pole in front of the Barracks until the British troops chopped it down that August. The Barracks were used for their original purpose throughout the Revolution by whichever group occupied the city.

Today, the Barracks are gone, but their site can still be explored in City Hall Park, near Chambers Street and the Tweed Courthouse. Archaeological excavations have uncovered remains of the colonial and Revolutionary-era barracks beneath the modern park. Visitors can also see a replica Liberty Pole nearby.