The Great Chain Stretched Across the Hudson

In April 1778, a massive iron chain was stretched across the Hudson River at West Point to prevent British warships from sailing upriver. The chain, forged at the Sterling Iron Works in nearby Orange County, weighed approximately 65 tons and consisted of iron links each weighing between 100 and 150 pounds.

The chain was supported by log booms and anchored to both banks. It was removed each winter to prevent ice damage and reinstalled each spring. The Great Chain was never tested by a direct British naval attack, but its presence — combined with the artillery batteries above — made the river passage effectively impassable.