Fort Hancock, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark District) | |
 |
|
| Location: | Sandy Hook, New Jersey |
| Built/Founded: | 1859 |
| Architect: | US Army |
| Architectural style(s): | No Style Listed |
| Added to NRHP: | April 24, 1980 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 80002505[1] |
| Governing body: | DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY |
Fort Hancock is a former United States Army fort located in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. This coastal artillery base played an important part in the defense of New York Harbor and played a role in the History of New Jersey. It is located on the Sandy Hook beach.
In 1893, Fort Hancock installed Battery Potter, the nation's first disappearing gun battery.[2] It also was important for the defense of the vital New York Harbor throughout World War II, trying to prevent the entrance of German submarines into the harbor. In the late 1950s Project Nike antiaircaft missiles were based there. Fort Hancock was decommissioned in 1972.
The historic fort is now managed as part of the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. Gateway NRA is part of the National Park System.
[edit] References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ The Defenses of Sandy Hook (from a Sandy Hook, Gateway National Recreation Area, U.S. National Park Service information pamphlet. Accessed 2008-02-22.)
[edit] External links
- Official National Park Service website for Gateway National Recreation Area
- History of Fort Hancock
- Fort Hancock Historic District
- Fort Hancock: A Bastion of America's Eastern Seaboard, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
|
||||||||||
