Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District

Sandy Hook Proving Ground

Main article: Sandy Hook Proving Ground

Sandy Hook Proving Ground was founded in 1874 for the testing and development of artillery. It served in this role until 1918-19, a period which included the nation's rise to a position of global power. Weapons developed here were deployed for use both as coastal defenses elsewhere in the United States, and by the United States Army for field use. Surviving buildings associated with its use include test batteries, magazines, and a gun park, as well as bombproof observation structures and target platforms. The Sandy Hook property also includes an early life saving station built by the United States Life-Saving Service (a predecessor to the United States Coast Guard), and the 1764 Sandy Hook Light, the nation's oldest working lighthouse.

Fort Hancock

Main article: Fort Hancock, New Jersey

Fort Hancock is the name given to the series of coastal defenses located at Sandy Hook. As it overlooks the approaches to New York Harbor, the area has been of military importance since colonial days, and has been home to a succession of defense establishments. Most of the surviving structures date to the Endicott Period beginning in the 1890s, when the area was formally named Fort Hancock. Earlier surviving structures include a single bastion from a fort dating to the period of the American Civil War. Completed in 1868, the fort was declared obsolete in the 1890s and most of it was torn down to reuse its stone. Although most of the surviving structures at the fort date to before World War II, the grounds also includes a Nike missile site from the 1950s Cold War period.

References

References

1. "New Jersey National Historic Landmarks". National Park Service.
2. {{NRISref
3. (December 16, 1977). "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places — Monmouth County". [[New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection]] — Historic Preservation Office.
4. ["NHL nomination for Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District"]({{NHLS url). National Park Service.