[1] The fort was named for Peter Gansevoort, a Revolutionary War officer.

The fort was completed in 1812, shortly after the outbreak of the War of 1812, and mounted 22 guns, along with a shot furnace, magazine, arsenal, and barracks.

[2] Some sources state that construction began in 1808; however, the fort does not appear in the Secretary of War's report on fortifications for December 1811.

In support of the fort, North Battery, constructed similarly to Castle Clinton, was built on landfill in the Hudson River, and connected to Manhattan by a bridge at Canal Street.

[5] Fort Gansevoort did not see action, as New York City was not attacked in that war.