Historic Photos of West Point

West Point, New York, home of the United States Military Academy, is one of the nation's most famous and unique landscapes. Established in 1802 to train engineer officers for the Army, West Point has for over two hundred years produced many of the country's greatest leaders, including Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and Douglas A. MacArthur.

Using nearly two hundred historical photos from the Library of Congress, National Archives, and collections at the United States Military Academy, here is West Point as it was from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. These priceless, black-and-white photos highlight cadets in classrooms, during military training, and on the fields of friendly strife. West Point buildings long demolished are shown as they were when Eisenhower and MacArthur were cadets. Also featured are special occasions such as graduations and visits by presidents, celebrities, and world leaders. This is West Point as you have never seen it, from the early days of photography through world events that thrust the Academy's graduates onto the world stage.