▁har bor ed ▁" gang s ▁of ▁th ieves ". ▁An ▁ 1 8 1 9 ▁letter ▁from ▁super int endent ▁S ylvan us ▁Th ayer ▁compla ined ▁to ▁the ▁Secretary ▁War ▁John ▁C . ▁Cal h oun ▁of ▁the ▁law less ness ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁inhabitants ▁in ▁the ▁high lands ▁surrounding ▁West ▁Point . ▁ ▁As ▁transport ation ▁technology ▁improved ▁and ▁coal ▁became ▁the ▁dominant ▁source ▁of ▁energy ▁consumption , ▁the ▁wild ness ▁of ▁the ▁high lands ▁subs ided ▁and ▁the ▁hill ▁people ▁whose ▁lives ▁were ▁linked ▁to ▁subs istence ▁upon ▁the ▁forest ▁began ▁to ▁disappear . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century , ▁the ▁Academy ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁expand ▁beyond ▁the ▁immediate ▁reaches ▁of ▁the ▁P lain ▁and ▁grew ▁both ▁south ▁along ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁west ward ▁into ▁the ▁high lands . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁entire ▁central ▁post ▁was ▁designated ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁but ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁occupied ▁structures ▁on ▁post ▁date ▁to ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁period . ▁ ▁The ▁oldest ▁surv iving ▁buildings ▁are ▁the ▁resid ences ▁of ▁the ▁Super int endent ▁and ▁the ▁Command ant . ▁ ▁Local ▁legend ▁states ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁foundation ▁walls ▁of ▁the ▁Warner ▁House ▁on ▁Constitution ▁Island ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁war ▁period , ▁but ▁that ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁verified ▁through ▁documentation . ▁ ▁Through ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁ 1 5 0 ▁years , ▁progress ▁su pers eded ▁historical ▁pres ervation ▁as ▁the ▁norm ▁at ▁the ▁a cademy ▁and