Fort DeRussy Military Reservation

Fort DeRussy is a United States military reservation in the Waikiki area of Honolulu, Hawaii, under the jurisdiction of the United States Army. Unfenced and largely open to public traffic, the installation consists mainly of landscaped greenspace. The former Battery Randolph now houses the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii, which is open to the public. The Hale Koa Hotel, an Armed Forces Recreation Center, and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies are also located on Fort DeRussy.HistoryThe property was once owned by Chinese millionaire merchant Chun Afong who build a villa on the three acres of landscaped grounds. It was used by Afong to host parties and received royal guests, dignitaries, diplomats, military officers and others. The property was sold in 1904 to the United States Army Corps of Engineers for $28,000 for the constructions of Battery Randolph and Battery Dudley (no longer extant).Fort DeRussy in Honolulu is one of four Forts DeRussy in the United States. The one in Louisiana, one in Kentucky, and one in Washington, D.C., were all built during the American Civil War. This one was named for General René Edward De Russy (1789–1865). Rene and his brother Lewis were both graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Lewis was the oldest West Point graduate to serve in the Confederate Army, while older brother Rene served on the Union side.