2. Fort Clinton, Castle Clinton, Castle Garden, Battery Park. This site served as a fort, an opera house, a beer garden, an aquarium and a public park. What was its purpose between 1855 and 1892?
From Quiz Lost and Found New York
Answer:
Immigration station
Originally a small island, this strategic site at the southern tip of Manhattan was a natural location for a fort, though it never fired a shot in anger. From 1855 to 1890, it hosted the "New York State Emigrant Landing Depot." At the time, immigration was handled by state governments. In 1890, the federal government took over, continuing to use the facility until the opening of Ellis Island in early 1892. An estimated eight million immigrants passed through the facility during its nearly 50 years of operation.