- 8 8 ; ▁published ▁ 1 4 ▁Mar . ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁( abstract ) ▁ ▁Category : M oll usc ▁super famil ies ▁Category : P ect in ida <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Military ▁Academy ▁( West ▁Point ) ▁and ▁grounds ▁were ▁declared ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁history ▁and ▁the ▁age ▁and ▁historic ▁significance ▁of ▁the ▁Academy ▁itself . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁buildings ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁cad et ▁area ▁are ▁historic . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁West ▁Point ▁is ▁located ▁approximately ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River . ▁ ▁The ▁Academy ' s ▁ge ographic ▁location ▁and ▁ge olog ic ▁form ations ▁have ▁directly ▁sh aped ▁its ▁history . ▁ ▁There ▁wouldn ' t ▁even ▁be ▁a ▁military ▁g arrison ▁at ▁West ▁Point ▁were ▁it ▁not ▁for ▁the ▁narrow ▁" s - cur ve " ▁in ▁the ▁river , ▁literally ▁creating ▁a ▁" west ▁point " ▁in ▁the ▁river ▁that ▁was ▁so ▁prominent ▁and ▁important ▁for ▁cont rolling ▁sh ipping ▁traffic ▁on ▁the ▁Hudson ▁during ▁colonial ▁times . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁narrow ▁double - 9 0 - deg ree ▁turns , ▁the ▁curr ents ▁and ▁wind s ▁were ▁err atic ▁and ▁un predict able , ▁making ▁even ▁an ▁uno pp osed ▁navigation ▁difficult . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River , ▁the ▁High lands ▁rise ▁up ▁sharp ly ▁from