Cowell's Battery, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI

Significance: Cowell's Battery is a rare example of British military architecture from the Napoleonic War era (1793-1815) on U.S. soil. The battery is associated with the British occupations of St. Thomas in 1801-1802 and 1807-1815 during the Napoleonic Wars. Located on the peak at the southern end of Hassel Island, the figure-eight shaped Cowell's Battery provided a two-gun position controlling the entrance to the Charlotte Amalie harbor. Together with Shipley's Battery in the north and Prince Frederik's Battery (renamed Fort Willoughby by the British) on the southeast tip of the island, British troops had command over any ships approaching the harbor from the east, west, and south. The battery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 for its architectural, commercial, and military significance.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N2103
Survey number: HABS VI-167
Building/structure dates: 1801 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: after 1807 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 76001862