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Fort Hancock was built to defend the entrance to New York Harbor in the late 1800s. It was active through both World Wars and the Cold War, converting to a missile base when the old gun batteries became obsolete. It was deactivated in 1974.
The Fort Hancock Museum is in the Guardhouse which was built in 1899. This building served as the military jail for the base.
Restoration of the building began in 2010 but then suffered serious damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
In September 2018, the museum was re-opened to the public. It showcases artifacts from all periods of the peninsula’s long history.
My other posts on Sandy Hook:
- Sandy Hook
- Grand Re-opening
- Sandy Hook Light
- Fort Hancock
- Women’s Barracks (coming soon)
Location: 128 South Hartshorne Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732
Designation: National Recreation Area
Date designation declared: 10/27/1972
Date of my visit: 9/30/2018
I think its possible to buy some of the barracks to live in as houses now!
As far as I know, you cannot purchase any of the buildings, but the park service is offering long term leases on the condition that the lessees restore the property. There is already an academy in one of the old barracks with plans to expand into an adjacent barracks that collapsed recently. Several other properties were under contract when I visited in September.
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