Jersey Shore Magazine

j e r s e y s h o r e • s p r i n g 2 0 1 4 39 Defense: Fortifications and Proving Grounds Sandy Hook had a walled wooden fortification known as Fort Gates as far back as the War of 1812. It was not until 1859 that construction began on the first permanent forti- fication, known simply as "the Fort at Sandy Hook." In 1874, the Sandy Hook Proving Ground was estab- lished by the U.S. Army, the first in the nation. The location provided flat, open areas for testing and was near manufacturing sites as well as water and established rail routes. Guns and mortars were tested here before being issued for use. New types of gunpowders, artillery shells, primers, and fuses were also tested. Not long afterward, the site was commissioned as Fort Hancock and was originally built to garrison four hundred soldiers. The 1890 Sandy Hook Mortar Battery was among the first Endicott- style concrete gun batteries built as part of New York Harbor's defense against attacks from the sea. Most of Sandy Hook's batteries had guns that fired in a straight line that would blast into the armored sides of attacking ships. The Mortar Battery was unique: its guns fired in a high arch with their shells designed to come crash- ing down through vulnerable enemy decks. This battery has four mortar pits, each of which contained four twelve-inch mortars. The pits are connected by a tunnel system where the shells and ammunition were stored and where the men who fired the big guns were housed. At the turn of the century, the fort had the amenities of a small town, including a library, fire station, chapel, school, YMCA, tailor shops, and a railroad. Today, dozens of his- torically significant Colonial Revival and military edifices remain, though many show signs of neglect. But unlike most small towns, by 1902, it was armed with an array of weapons, most notably nine "dis- appearing" guns that were loaded behind the protection of concrete walls. Raised to fire one thousand- pound shells miles out to sea with pinpoint accuracy, and then lowered out of sight to safety, it was the only nine-gun battery in the U.S. coastal defense system. During the Great Depression, new buildings were added in an effort to put the unemployed back to work. The Works Projects Administration oversaw the construction of a three hundred-seat movie theatre in 1933, a gas station in 1936, and five new officers quarters in 1939. A Civilian Conservation Corps camp was also built, providing construction, main- tenance, and conservation projects under Army supervision. continued on page 50 During peacetime, the population reached eight hundred; it swelled to 12,000 men and women during World War II. The base even boasted a newspaper, the Sandy Hook Foghorn. During World War II, the former Mortar Battery tunnel system was pressed into service in a new role as it was converted to the Command Center for all of the New York Harbor defenses. Its rooms included communication, plotting, and tele- phone rooms, a map room, and emergency shipping and office spaces for military commanders. From 1954-1974, the fort was home to Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules air defense missiles. They were designed to intercept and destroy fast, high altitude jet warplanes long before they reached the metro area. Restored Nike missiles are now on display with the original launch and radar sites near the ranger station. The U.S. Army deactivated Fort Hancock in 1975, and the National Park Services took over most of the 1,665-acre peninsula. Other Points of Interest Redevelopment of the Historic Structures In September 2012, the Depart- ment of the Interior announced the formation of the Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee with the purpose of providing advice "on the development of a re-use plan and on matters relating to future uses of the Fort Hancock Historic District of Gateway National Recreation Area." The Committee is seeking individu- als, governmental agencies, not-for- profit organizations, and educational institutions to redevelop historic structures in the Sandy Hook Unit. Proposals are sought for the re-use of a single building or all of thirty-five Fort Hancock structures. The Marine Academy of Science and Technology (M.A.S.T.) The Marine Academy was founded in 1981 as a part-time program that has since grown to become a full- time, diploma-granting program. M.A.S.T. is a coeducational, four-year, One of the artillery batteries. Sandy Hook had the only "disappearing" nine-gun battery in the U.S. coastal defense system. Gordon Hesse

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