Southern New Jersey

Last Update: 15/SEPTEMBER/2007

Compiled by Pete Payette - ฉ2007 American Forts Network

Camp Kendrick
(1918 - 1919), Lakehurst
An Army Chemical Warfare Service training camp, located adjacent to the future Lakehurst Naval Air Station. Site taken over by the Navy in 1919.

Fort Dix (State Military Reservation)
(1917 - 1996/present), Wrightstown
A National Army cantonment training encampment and demobilization center for the 78th Division. Originally named Camp Dix until 1939. The Army Reserves, National Guard, and the Citizen's Military Training Corps (CMTC) used the camp from 1922 - 1931. Most of the original buildings were removed by 1926. The camp then became a major Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) reception and replacement center from 1933 - 1939. Became a permanent post in 1939, with much new construction for WWII training. The base closed in 1996, now used by the Army Reserve and NJ National Guard.

Princeton Barracks
(1758 - 1777), Princeton
A British garrison post.

Princeton Army Ground School
(1917 - 1919), Princeton
An Army Ground School on the Princeton University campus.

Trenton Barracks
(Old Barracks Museum)
(1758 - 1782), Trenton
Hessians occupied this building when the Patriots attacked the town the day after Christmas in 1776. It was sold off in 1792, became a museum in 1903, restored in 1916, and again in 1998. The last remaining British barracks in the state. Located adjacent to the New Jersey State House on South Willow Street. Admission fee. Another website at Fieldtrip.com.

Camp Washington
(1846), Trenton
A training camp for the Mexican-American War, located at "Jackson's Woods", south of Hamilton Ave. and east of Chestnut Ave.

Fort Rawnsley
(1847), Trenton
A recruiting station for the Mexican-American War. Located in a hotel at Warren and Lamberton Streets.

Trenton Civil War Camps
(1860's), Trenton
Camp Bayard was located west of South Broad Street and south of Cass Street.
Camp Halstead was located on the outskirts of town at "Moses' Woods", at West Hanover and Passaic Streets.
Camp Olden was originally located near the city armory, but was moved to Sandtown Road near Pond Run.
Camp Perrine was located by the Old State Prison.
Camp Parker (undetermined location).
Camp Delaware (undetermined location).

Matinicunk Island Fort
(1624 - 1626), Burlington Island
A Dutch palisaded fort built for French Walloon settlers. It was abandoned and replaced by Fort Nassau in Gloucester City. Also called Verhulsten Island Fort. This was the first attempted European settlement in present-day New Jersey.

Burlington Barracks
(1758 - 1780), Burlington
A British 300-man post until captured by Patriots in 1776. It was built very similar to Trenton Barracks. It was used thereafter to quarter Patriot troops and war munitions. Located at East Broad Street and Assicunk Creek.

Burlington Cantonment
(1830's ?), Burlington
A Federal post, before the Mexican-American War period.

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

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

Fort Nassau
(1626 - 1651), Gloucester City
A Dutch trading post, complete with palisades and battlements. Also known as Fort Eriwonick. It was probably occupied by a British expedition in 1633 when the fort was briefly abandoned by the Dutch. It was finally abandoned shortly after Sweden built Fort Elfsborg downriver. Site probably located near Charles and Water Streets, north of Timber Creek (Verkeerde Kill).

Fort Mercer
(Red Bank Battlefield Park)
(1776 - 1777, 1778 - 1781), Red Bank
An earthwork fort with 350 yards of earthen outer works. The Patriots surrendered to the British in 1777, who then abandoned it. The Patriots gained it back in 1778 and rebuilt it. A "Fourth System" coastal battery was planned here in 1872.

Woodbury Island Battery
(1777), National Park
A Patriot two-gun battery on an island that once existed at the mouth of Woodbury Creek. Also known as Bush Island Battery.

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

Fort Billings
(1776 - 1777, 1779 - 1781), Billingsport
Also known as Billingsport Redoubt. It protected the chevaux-de-frise set across the river. It was a 15-acre square earthwork with four corner bastions. It had barracks, Officers' quarters, and a bakehouse. The British captured this Patriot defense in 1777 and destroyed it. The British later built a two-gun redoubt. After the British left Philadelphia in 1778, the Patriots rebuilt the fort. Located about one and one-half mile below Mantua Creek, the actual site is now an oil tank farm.
On the eastern-side of Mantua Creek about 800 yards from the mouth (near the end of present-day Leonard Lane) was the Patriot two-gun earthwork Mantua (Creek) Battery (1777) (no remains).

Fort Elfsborg
(1643 - 1651), near Oakwood Beach
A Swedish three-cornered earthen redoubt with eight guns. Also known as Fort Elsinburgh. Nicknamed Myggenborgh (Mosquito Castle) because of the swarms of mosquitos and gnats. The Swedes burned down the fort after the Dutch built Fort Casimir across the river. The actual site is now under water at Elsinboro Point.

Salem Creek Fort
(1630's), near Salem
A small Puritan (Connecticut) traders' blockhouse was built on Salem Creek before they were ousted by the Dutch. Exact location undetermined.

คค HARBOR DEFENSES of DELAWARE BAY (partial)
Delaware River Sites by Mike Casale

คค Fort Mott (State Park)
(NJ Coastal Trail: Salem County Trail Sites)
(1872 - 1943), Finns Point
This post was formally named at the end of 1897. Battery at Finns Point was first located here in 1872. Only two gun emplacements and five magazines in the mortar battery were completed before construction was halted. Two magazines remain, and were used again during the Endicott period. Several guns were mounted on temporary platforms in the 1880's. The Peace Magazine was built in 1904. Seacoast batteries here are the combined Battery Arnold (1899 - 1943) and Battery Harker (1899 - 1941), Battery Gregg (1901 - 1910), Battery Krayenbuhl (1900 - 1918), and Battery Edwards (1902 - 1920). Observation stations were later installed in the gun emplacements on Batteries Krayenbuhl and Gregg. Battery Edwards' casemates were constructed from two of the original 1872 magazines. Two old steel observation towers are located on post. The one by the river was built in 1902, and the one by the park office was built in 1903. The fort was on caretaker status beginning in 1922. Three of Battery Harker's guns were sold to Canada in 1941. Two of those still remain at Fort Cape Spear in Newfoundland. The other was sent to Fort Pr้vel in Qu้bec. Eleven of the Officers' Quarters were moved across the river to Fort DuPont in 1932. The state park was formed in 1947, with the remaining portion of the reservation becoming the Killcohook State Wildlife Area. Ghosts of Fort Mott | Another website at Fieldtrip.com

คค Cape May Military Reservation
(Cape May Point State Park)
(1917 - 1919, 1941 - 1948), Cape May
Batteries here are Battery 223 (1944 - 1947), Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Battery 7 (1943 - 1946) washed away in the 1970's, and an unnamed battery (1917 - 1919) of one 6-inch gun (destroyed) near the old Coast Guard Station. There was also an unnamed WWII battery of four 155mm guns on Panama mounts which also washed away in the 1970's. A beach restoration project in 2005 restored Battery 223 to the shore, but permanently buried in the process the two gun blocks and the remains of the Panama mounts.
The Cape May Lighthouse was erected in 1859, replacing earlier lighthouses from 1824 and 1847. A WWII fire-control tower is located on Sunset Beach (to be restored), and another near the lighthouse, now built into a hotel. Other fire-control towers were once located at Wildwood Gables and North Wildwood.

คค ALSO: A two-gun anti-aircraft battery (1918) was built at the DuPont Company plant at Thompson's Point near Gibbstown, and two two-gun AA batteries (1918) were built at DuPont's Carneys Point plant. Another two-gun AA battery (1918) was located on Petty Island near Camden.

Amatol Arsenal
(1918 - 1920's), Hammonton
A subsidized munitions loading plant (Amatol), operated by Atlantic Loading Company, originally named Camp Amatol until 1919, when taken over by the Army's Ordnance Dept.. It's primary purpose after the war was to store ordnance material. It was closed sometime in the mid 1920's.

Fort Fox Burrows
(1776 - 1778), near Port Republic
A Patriot earthwork fort located on Chestnut Neck on the Mullica River, built to protect the Batsto Ironworks and a privateering base in Great Bay. Also known as Chestnut Neck Fort. It was never actually armed, and was destroyed by the British in a 1778 raid.

Northern New Jersey - page 1