▁work ▁with ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Provin cial ▁Congress ▁to ▁draft ▁plans ▁as ▁to ▁how ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River ▁should ▁be ▁fort ified ▁against ▁the ▁British . ▁Local ▁residents ▁James ▁Cl inton ▁and ▁Christopher ▁T app an ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁sc out ▁appropriate ▁locations . ▁The ▁initial ▁site ▁chosen ▁was ▁Mart la er ' s ▁Island , ▁across ▁from ▁West ▁Point . ▁Loc ated ▁on ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁curve ▁in ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River , ▁engineer ▁Bernard ▁Rom ans , ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁begin ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁fort ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁which ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁named ▁“ F ort ▁Constitution ". ▁ ▁Pl ans ▁for ▁the ▁fort ▁called ▁for ▁four ▁bast ions . ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁fort ifications ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 7 7 5 , ▁and ▁the ▁island ▁was ▁soon ▁known ▁as ▁Constitution ▁Island . ▁By ▁November ▁it ▁had ▁ 7 0 ▁can n ons . ▁However , ▁difficulties ▁in ▁construction ▁and ▁management ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁plan ▁of ▁fort ifications , ▁together ▁with ▁es cal ating ▁costs , ▁led ▁to ▁abandon ment ▁of ▁that ▁project . ▁A ▁site ▁at ▁Pop ol open ▁Creek ▁across ▁from ▁Anthony ' s ▁N ose ▁was ▁proposed , ▁and ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 7 7 6 , ▁the ▁materials ▁and ▁resources ▁from ▁Fort ▁Constitution ▁were ▁redirect ed ▁to ▁the ▁construction ▁at ▁the ▁new ▁site . ▁The ▁building ▁of ▁Fort ▁Constitution ▁was ▁susp ended ▁while ▁the ▁milit ia ▁concentr ated ▁their ▁efforts ▁on ▁building ▁Fort s ▁Cl inton , ▁Mont gom ery ▁and ▁Independ ence