New Jersey Forts

American Forts: East

NEW JERSEY

Last Update: 21/FEBRUARY/2011

Compiled by Pete Payette - Š2011 American Forts Network

Fort Reading
(1756 - unknown), Belvidere
A NJ colonial militia fort. It was a stone blockhouse 36 feet square, with a 16-foot square stone house, enclosed by a 60-foot square palisade.

McMurtie's Fort
(1756), Belvidere
A settlers' fort used by the NJ colonial militia.

Ellison's Fort
(1756), Delaware
A settlers' two-story stone house built in 1750. Used by the NJ colonial militia. Still exists about 200 yards from the river. Also spelled Allison.

New Fort
(1758), Columbia ?
An unnamed NJ colonial militia fort. Exact location uncertain.

Col. Abraham Van Campen's Fort
(1756), near Calno
A NJ colonial militia fort 18 miles upriver from Fort Reading, located on Van Campens Brook. It was a 20-foot square blockhouse, with a stone house and a log house, within a 65-foot square palisade.

Fort Walpack
(1756 - unknown), Flatbrookville
A NJ colonial militia fort, six miles upriver from Van Campen's Fort on Walpack Bend. It was a wooden church (1737) and small blockhouse within a 50-foot square palisade.

Adam Dingman's Fort
(1756), Walpack Township
A settlers' palisaded fortified house, originally built in 1735. Used by the NJ colonial militia. Site located on Old Mine Road, between Fort Walpack and Fort John's, near Walpack Airstrip.

Fort John's
(Delaware Water Gap NRA - Military Trail)
(1756 - 1782), Walpack Center
A NJ colonial militia fort six miles upriver from Fort Walpack, built near Isaac Van Campen's Inn (1746) on Old Mine Road at Shapanack Flats. Also known as Fort Shapanack and Head Quarters Fort. It had a 50-by-25-foot wooden blockhouse on stone foundation, with a 15-by-20-foot log cabin and a 52-by-26-foot stone house (dwelling of Capt. John Rosencrans), within a 120-foot square palisade. Site used by Patriot forces in the American Revolution. Site destroyed in 1974 for the Tocks Island Dam project, which was never built. Site excavated in 1998.

Carmer's Fort
(1758), near Bevens
A settlers' fort. Site located near Dingman's Ferry - Bevans Road and Old Mine Road, about one-half mile southeast of the bridge.

Normanock Fort
(1756 - 1760's), near Namanock Island
A NJ colonial militia fort, eight miles upriver from Head Quarters Fort. (Also spelled Namanock or Nominack). Trace remains.

Fortress of t'Schickte-wacki
(unknown), near Minisink Island ?
A legendary Indian fortress supposedly located near Minisink Island.

Anthony Westbrook's Fort
(1750's), Montague Township
A fortified stone house with a wood-shingled roof, originally built in 1735. It was probably not palisaded. Site marked by a few stones. Also known as Fort Westbrook.

Samuel Brink's Fort
(1750's - 1780's), Montague Township
A settlers' palisaded fortified wooden house. It was 50-by-24 feet, with a 59-square foot palisade. This may have been known as Shipeconk Fort (1756), a NJ colonial militia fort which was four miles upriver from Normanock Fort. Probably located near Mashipacong Island.

Tappan Encampment
(1780 - 1782), Old Tappan
A large Patriot encampment established by General Washington prior to the planned 40,000 man "Grand Assault" on New York City. A portion of the camp crossed over the border into New York. Actions in Virginia forced Washington and the main army (6000 men) south in August 1781, leaving Major General William Heath here with a holding force (2500 men). After the defeat of British Gen. Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA (October 1781), Washington returned here with the army for a second winter to again keep an eye on British General Clinton and plan for an assault on the city.

Camp Merritt
(1917 - 1920), Dumont / Cresskill
A major assembly area for the Army's Hoboken Port of Embarkation during WWI, consisting of 1300 structures for 50,000 troops, about 770 acres. A stone monument was built in 1924 near the camp headquarters area, located at Madison Ave. and Knickerbocker Road. Three buildings supposedly still survive, one being currently used as a local restaurant, and another as an elementary school.

Garret Mountain Military Reservation
(Garret Mountain Park)
(1941 - 1944), West Paterson
A 1911 fire lookout tower on Garret Mountain was used for early aircraft warning. Barracks were also built here. The tower still remains. On High Mountain (High Mountain Park Preserve) were a mobile 3-inch AA gun and a .50 cal. AA gun. Only concrete footings of the support buildings remain here.

Across the Passaic River in Fairlawn was the Columbia Heights Camp, site of an SCR-268 radar. Site now an industrial park. This was a subpost of Fort Totten, NY.
(info courtesy of Jack Goudsward of Council of America's Military Past)

Fort Lee (park)
(Palisades Parks Conservancy Historic Site)
(1776 - 1783), Fort Lee
Originally known as Fort Constitution, it was a square-bastioned earthwork up on the Palisades. Below the fort on the Hudson River was Burdette's (Bourdet's) Battery. The Patriots hastily abandoned the fort, nearly being completely overwhelmed when the British arrived in November 1776 after the capture of Fort Washington. The British partially dismantled the fort, but still used it until 1779. In 1781 Loyalist forces occupied the fort, and partially rebuilt it. The actual site is now located under the western approach of the George Washington Bridge. A reconstruction of the three batteries was undertaken in 1974, and a new visitors' center was completed in 1976.

Bull's Ferry Fort
(1780 - 1783), Hudson Heights
A British palisaded blockhouse that was attacked by Gen. Wayne in 1780.

Camp Hoboken
(1860's), Hoboken
A Civil War training camp.

Fort Bergen
(1660 - 1664 ?), Jersey City
This was the state's first permanent white settlement. The Dutch established Pavonia Outpost, also in Jersey City, around 1630 but Indian attacks prevented permanent settlement.

Paulus Hook Fort
(1776 - 1783), Jersey City
Patriot earthworks were built in 1776, but abandoned before the British, who took them over. The British built a circular redoubt mounting six heavy guns, protected by a ditch and an abatis; a second oblong redoubt armed with four guns; two blockhouses; five lines of breastworks; and three barracks. A magazine was located in the oblong redoubt. This was considered to be the principal western outpost of the British defenses of New York City. Patriot forces under "Light Horse" Harry Lee successfully attacked the garrison in 1779, but had to retreat for fear of immediate reprisals from across the Hudson River. The fort was strengthened in 1781. Located in a 15-block area centered at Washington and Sussex Streets.

Bergen Neck Fort
(1776 - 1782), Bayonne
Built by Patriot forces in anticipation of a British invasion of New York City through Bergen Neck. The British instead invaded New York City from Long Island. Occupied by British troops in 1777, it was renamed Fort Delancey, also known as the Refugee Post on Bergen Neck. It was attacked several times, but never fell. It was abandoned and destroyed. It was located near Avenue B, West 52nd Street, Avenue C, and West 51st Street.

Elizabethtown Barracks
(1758 - 1775), Elizabeth
A British garrison post located on Cherry Street between Rahway Ave. and West Jersey Street. It was abandoned, and burned down in 1779.

Elizabethtown Cantonment
(1837), Elizabeth
A Federal post.

Camp Frelinghuysen
(1860's), Newark
A Civil War training camp.

Camp Kearny
(1917 - 1919), South Kearny
An Army Quartermaster Corps (Motor Transport) depot along the Passaic River.

Cold War AAA Defenses of New York City
(1952 - 1958), Newark area
Several permanent sites were established for the Army's Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Gun Site Program, the precursor to the NIKE missile defense program. Four 90mm AA guns and/or four 120mm AA guns were positioned at each site, with troop barracks and other support buildings. Known sites include:
Englewood (1953 - 1954) 90mm guns: at 360 South Van Brunt Street, now industrial area.
Fort Lee (1954 - 1957) 120mm guns, (1953 - 1958) 90mm guns: at 2205 North Central Road, Central Court Condos (NY-03).
Teaneck (1953 - 1956) 90mm guns: at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (NY-96).
Moonachie / Teterboro Airport at current FAA radio facility off Union Ave. and Redneck Ave..
Secaucus (1952 ? - 1953 ?) 90mm guns: at 5th Street and Emerson Lane, now industrial area.
Wallington (1956 - 1957) 90mm gun battery headquarters only: off Alden Street, now residential area (NY-91).
East Rutherford (1954 - 1957) 90mm gun battery headquarters only: undetermined.
Nutley (Avondale) (1952 - 1954) 90mm guns: at Flora Louden Memorial Park, on Hancox Ave..
Newark (1954 - 1957) 120mm guns, (1953 - 1958) 90mm guns: at Branch Brook Park (NY-81).
Newark (1954 - 1957) 120mm guns, (1957 - 1958) 90mm guns: at Vailsburg Park, South Munn and South Orange Aves. (NY-74).
Elizabeth (1954 - 1957) 120mm guns, (1957 - 1958) 90mm guns: at Drotar Field Park, Richmond and Brunswick Ave. (NY-67).
Bayonne at Bayonne Park.
(NOTE: undated gun sites, and most others, confirmed by 1954 aerial photos)
(some info provided courtesy of "Fort_Tilden@hotmail.com")

Other sites near Sandy Hook included:
Crawford Corners (1954 - 1958) 90mm guns: undetermined.
Fort Hancock (1954 - 1955) 120mm guns, (1952 - 1957) 90mm guns (eight): on post (NY-56).

NIKE missile defense sites (1955 - 1974) are beyond the scope of this website.

See also NEW YORK CITY NIKE MISSILE SITES by Donald Bender

(See also NEW YORK page7)

Picatinny Arsenal (U.S. Military Reservation)
(U.S. Army Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center)
(1880 - present), Picatinny
Originally known as Dover Powder Depot, then Picatinny Powder Depot, until 1907 when renamed. It was the major producer of large-caliber munitions. Still active, the facility now focuses on small arms and munitions.

Fort Nonsense
(Morristown National Historic Park)
(1777, 1779 - 1780), Morristown *PHOTO*
A reconstructed (1937) earthwork rumored to have been originally built merely to keep the soldiers occupied during the winter of 1777 (January - May), located on a hill overlooking the town. This area was also the 1779 - 1780 winter encampment site (November - May) of the Continental Army. This National Park includes three other detached units: Washington's Headquarters - Jacob Ford Mansion (1779 - 1780), Jockey Hollow Encampment Area (1779 - 1780), and the New Jersey Brigade Encampment Area (1779 - 1780) near Bernardsville.

Blue Hills Post
(Green Brook Park)
(1776 - 1777), Plainfield
A Patriot 95-acre encampment guarding the road from Quibbletown (New Market) to Scotch Plains and Springfield.

Knox's Artillery Park
(1778 - 1779), near Pluckemin
Site of General Knox's winter camp for the Continental Artillery, located on Second Watchung Mountain. Trace remains of hut sites.

Middlebrook Encampment
(1777, 1778 - 1779), Bound Brook *PHOTOS*
Three earthen redoubts were originally constructed here in June 1777 by Patriot forces, and were used again later during the 1778 - 1779 winter encampment (December - June). They were 75-feet square and four feet deep, with one gun each, and defended the rear and right flanks of the camp. Only one redoubt still remains, and it is said to be the only remaining original earthwork left in the state. Markers at the site on Middlebrook Road.
(info provided by Mike Casale)

During the winter of 1778 - 79, General George Washington made his headquarters at the Wallace House (SHS) (built 1776) in nearby Somerville at 71 Somerset Street. General Nathaniel Greene made his Quartermaster headquarters at the Van Veghten House in Finderne at 9 Van Veghten Road, off Finderne Ave..

Camp Fair Oaks
(1860's), Flemington
A Civil War training camp.

New Brunswick Barracks ?
(1758 - 1777), New Brunswick
A British garrison post.

Raritan Arsenal
(1918 - 1964), Edison
An Army Ordnance Dept. training camp, originally named Camp Raritan. Renamed after WWI, becoming a major storage, warehouse, and shipping terminal of munitions. The site has since been redeveloped into industrial and commercial parcels.

Perth Amboy Barracks
(1758 - 1777), Perth Amboy
A 300-man post. Occupied by Hessian troops in 1776.

Camp Morgan
(1918 - 1919), Morgan
A temporary state guard encampment.

Middletown Blockhouse
(1675), Middletown
A town blockhouse erected during Indian troubles. Later used as a jail and courthouse. Site now occupied by the Christ Episcopal Church (1746).

¤ HARBOR DEFENSES of NEW YORK CITY (SANDY HOOK)
Harbor Defense of Southern New York - FORT WIKI
Sandy Hook Sites by Mike Casale

¤ Fort Hancock
(Gateway National Recreation Area - Sandy Hook Unit)
(U.S. Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook)
(The Fort at Sandy Hook)
(The Sandy Hook Foundation)
(1857 - 1974), Sandy Hook
This area may have been a possible location for Federal Fort Gates (1813 - 1820 ?), a 32-gun fort with an 800-man garrison. No remains. Fort at Sandy Hook (1857 - 1885) replaced that work. It was never completed. It was unofficially named Fort Lincoln or Fort Hudson by locals. The granite blocks were later used to build the seawall, which later became buried until uncovered by a storm in 1962. A new post was established in 1892 and named in 1895. Endicott batteries here are Battery Potter (1890 - 1907), Battery Granger (1898 - 1942), Battery Peck (1903 - 1943) which became Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Battery 8 (1943 - 1946), Battery Gunnison (1905 - 1942) rebuilt and renamed New Battery Peck in 1943, original guns were replaced in 1974. There is also a nine-gun battery {later divided into Battery Alexander (1899 - 1943), Battery Bloomfield (1899 - 1944), Battery Richardson (1904 - 1944), and Battery Halleck (1898 - 1944)}.
Batteries once located here (or currently on the Coast Guard base) were Dynamite Gun Battery (1896 - 1902), mortar Battery McCook (1898 - 1923) which had a harbor entrance control post in 1943, mortar Battery Reynolds (1898 - 1918), Battery Kingman (1922 - 1946), Battery Mills (1922 - 1946), Battery Arrowsmith (1909 - 1921) partially destroyed, Battery Engle (1898 - 1917), a temporary unnamed battery (one 4.7-inch Schneider) (1898), Battery Urmston (1903 - 1944), Battery Morris (1908 - 1946), New Battery Urmston (AMTB 6) (1942 - 1946) partially covered, and Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Battery 7 (1943 - 1946). Several 12-inch railway mortars and 8-inch railguns were here in the 1930's. Several AA gun batteries (90mm and 120mm) were here from 1952 - 1957. NIKE missile defenses were emplaced here from 1955 - 1971 (NY-56). See also Fort Hancock Military Railway by P.M. Goldstein

Sandy Hook Proving Ground was located along the shore south of the main post from 1874 - 1919. Although adjacent to the main post, it was a separate command from Fort Hancock. The Army's proving grounds were previously located at Fort Monroe, VA. It was then moved to Aberdeen, MD in 1920 (see also).

The Sandy Hook Lighthouse was built here in 1764, and is located next to the mortar battery. During the American Revolution the British fortified the light and the keeper's house, known as Light House Fort or Refugees' Tower, as a base for Tory operations and raids. Some remnants of the log works still remain. Seasonal tours are offered for Battery Potter and the lighthouse. A museum is on site. There is a fee to enter the Gateway National Recreation Area of Sandy Hook. Officers' Row has been refurbished. The Sandy Hook Bird Observatory has offices in one of the former quarters.

¤ Highlands Military Reservation
(Hartshorne Woods Park)
(1917 - 1948/1974), Highlands
Also known as Navesink Military Reservation. Batteries here are Battery Lewis / 116 (1944 - 1948), Battery 219 (1944 - 1949), and the WWI mortar battery Battery Hartshorne (1917 - 1920) covered, which is outside of the park by the middle school.

The nearby Navesink (Twin Lights) Radar Station was originally established by the Army in 1938 as a test platform for early radar prototypes. An SCR-271 early warning radar was located here during the war (1942 - 1945). Became the Highlands Air Force Station in 1948, with an AN/CPS-6 radar (site LP-9 / P-9 / Z-9). In 1955 the site received an AN/FPS-8 search radar. This radar was converted into an AN/GPS-3 that would remain until 1960. In 1958 an AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar became operational. In September 1959 this site became the first to deploy an AN/FPS-7 radar. Around this time, Highlands AFS also became an Air Force/Army joint-use site; the Army's designation for the site was NY-55 DC. The Army installed a NIKE Missile Master direction center. In 1960 the Air Force installed an AN/FPS-6B height-finder radar. The Army likewise installed a pair of AN/FPS-6 / -90 height-finder radars. By 1963 the Air Force AN/FPS-6 and -6B height-finder radars had been replaced by AN/FPS-26A and AN/FPS-90 sets. The 646th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was deactivated, and the site was transferred to the Army, in April 1966. Army radar operations ceased for good in 1974 when the NIKE system was phased out. All structures later demolished.

The nearby Navesink Twin Lighthouse dates to 1862, replacing an earlier 1828 tower. At 246 feet elevation, this is the highest seaside location in the mid-Atlantic region. A Marconi wireless telegraph station was built here in 1899.

¤ ALSO: Additional fire-control stations associated with Fort Hancock were once located at Monmouth Beach, North Long Branch, Elberon, Shark River, and Manasquan (Sea Girt). None remain.

Fort Monmouth (U.S. Military Reservation)
(1917 - present), Oceanport
Established as an Army Signal Corps training camp and Radio School known as Camp Monmouth Park or Camp Little Silver, located at the old Monmouth Park racetrack. Renamed Camp Alfred Vail in 1918. Renamed in 1925 when the post became a permanent installation. Camp Charles Wood was located on post in WWII. Located here is the U.S. Army Communications and Electronics Museum. The base is now a "closed" post to outside visitors. Museum public access only by prior arrangement.

In 1942 Camp Coles was established to the west at Lincroft, renamed Coles Signal Laboratory in 1945.

Camp Evans
(InfoAge Science-History Learning Center and Museum)
(1941 - 1993), New Bedford
The U.S. Army Signal Corps' primary radar development center during WWII, a subpost of Fort Monmouth. Renamed Evans Signal Laboratory in 1945. Later used for development in electronic research and satellite communications. Originally located here was the Marconi wireless telegraph Belmar receiving station (1914 - 1924). Portions of the original post are now used by Brookdale Community College, and the InfoAge Science Center (37 acres) (opened 1998).

Oakhurst Radar Station
(1942 - 1945), Wanamassa
A WWII anti-aircraft spotting station and an SCR-271 early warning air defense radar was located about 0.3 mile west of NJ 35 off of Valley Road. A 400-foot tall steel frame tower (possibly for a 1950's era radar system ?) was demolished in 2004 for a supermarket center.

Camp Sea Girt (State Military Reservation)
(NJ National Guard Training Center)
(1881 - 1954/present), Sea Girt
A NJ state guard summer training camp, rifle range, and artillery firing point, originally 120 acres. Became the muster camp for all state troops during the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Mexican border crisis (1916). It was also used as the state governor's summer residence, and usually renamed after each sitting governor; Camp Voorhees (1897), Camp Edge (1917), Camp Larsen (1930), Camp Moore (1932), Camp Edison (1941). Discontinued in 1954. The remaining portion of the post is now a nine-acre beachfront property. Located here is the main campus of the New Jersey National Guard Militia Museum. The New Jersey State Police Academy is also located here. See also History of Sea Girt from Borough of Sea Girt

Camp Vredenburg
(1860's), Freehold
A Civil War training camp.

Tom's River Blockhouse
(1776 - 1782), Toms River
A Patriot blockhouse that was attacked and destroyed by Loyalists in 1782.

NEED MORE INFO:
Towns: Fort Plains in Monmouth County.

Southern New Jersey - page 2

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