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

Significance: Shipley's Battery is a rare example of British military defensive architecture from the Napoleonic War era (1793-1815) on U.S. soil. The battery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as part of the Northern Hassel Island Historic District and listed under NRHP Criteria A and C in the areas of Archaeology-Historic, Architecture, Commerce, Engineering, Industry, Military, and Transportation. The battery was built during the first British occupation of St. Thomas in 1801-1802 and renovated for the second occupation from 1807-1815. Located on a peak at the north end of Hassel Island, the thick masonry walls of Shipley's Battery provided a five-gun position controlling the western approaches to the Gregerie Channel. Together with Cowell's Battery and Fort Willoughby (originally called Prince Frederik's Battery) on the south end of the island, British occupying forces had commanding force over any ship approaching Charlotte Amalie harbor.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N2039
Survey number: HABS VI-171
Building/structure dates: 1807 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1807 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1801-1802 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 76001862