Fort Tilden
Fort Tilden (1917-1974) - A late Endicott Period Coastal Fort originally established 19 Feb 1917 as Camp Rockaway Beach, later named Fort Tilden after Samuel J. Tilden, governor of New York State and Presidential candidate in 1876. Decommissioned in 1974 and transfered to the National Park Service Gateway National Recreation Area (GNRA).
Fort Tilden History
Established as a part of the Harbor Defense of Southern New York.
World War I
Camp Rockaway Beach was established on 19 Feb 1917 by a cadre of 4 Army officers and 130 enlisted men on Rockaway Beach, but the site was not actually purchased from New York State until 1 May 1917. Construction on the post began that year under the supervision of U.S. Army Engineers and concentrated on the building of the coastal gun batteries themselves. The post itself was built out rapidly but in the temporary style of most WWI facilities, few permanent structures were included.
Three coastal batteries were started in 1917, two 6" pedestal mounted batteries and one 12" mortar battery located at NAS Rockaway. The mortar battery proved to be too close to structures at NAS Rockaway and would have caused damage whenever fired. The mortars were relocated to railway carriages in 1919 so they could be moved further out on the peninsula for firing.
| Battery Click on Battery links below |
No. | Caliber | Type Mount | Service Years | Battery Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Harris (2) | 2 | 16" | Long Range Barbette | 1921-1923-1924-1948 | $ 136,035 | Casemated during WWII |
| Battery Unnamed | 4 | 12" | Mortar | 1917-1919 | $ ? | At NAS Rockaway |
| Battery Kessler | 2 | 6" | Pedestal | 1917-1923-1923-1947 | $ ? | Buried, guns from Battery Burk, Fort Hamilton (1) |
| Battery Fergusson | 2 | 6" | Pedestal | 1917-1917-1917-1942 | $ ? | Guns from Battery Kinney, Fort Slocum (2) |
| Source: CDSG | ||||||
Post World War I
Construction on Battery Harris began in 1924 using 16" guns originally built for Battleships. The original configuration for Battery Harris was two open 360 degree emplacements that were casemated in 1939 to provide better protection and to restrict the firing angles to seaward targets.
In 1937 the WPA did extensive construction and remodeling of many of the temporary WWI buildings. In 1940 additional construction built out the post in preparation for World War II
World War II
| Battery Click on Battery links below |
No. | Caliber | Type Mount | Service Years | Battery Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery 220 | 2 | 6" | Pedestal | 1941-1943-1944-1946 | $ 229,507 | Not Armed |
| Battery AMTB 18 - Norton Point | 4 | 3" | Fixed Pedestal | 1943-1943-1943-1946 | $ ? | Norton Point Guns & carriages from Fort Wadsworth, Battery Catlin |
| Battery AMTB 19 - Norton Point | 2 2 |
90mm 90mm |
Fixed Pedestal Mobile |
1943-1943-1943-1946 | $ ? | Norton Point |
| Battery AMTB 20 - Rockaway Point | 2 | 3" | Fixed Pedestal | 1943-1943-1943-1946 | $ 5,950 | Rockaway Point Guns & carriages from Fort Wadsworth, Battery Catlin |
| Battery AMTB 21 - Rockaway Point | 2 2 |
90mm 90mm |
Fixed Pedestal Mobile |
1943-1943-1943-1946 | $ 12,891 | Rockaway Point |
| Source: CDSG | ||||||
Post World War II
Current Status
The portion of the Fort that contained the coastal gun batteries was declared surplus and is now a Baltimore County Park.
Now a part of Fort Tilden National park. No period guns or carriages in place.
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Location: Fort Tilden, Rockaway Peninsula, Queens, New York City Maps & Images Lat: 40.563889 Long: -73.891111 |
Sources:
- Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 585
- The History of Fort Tilden
- Wikipedia - Fort Tilden
- NorthAmericanForts.com
- Coast Defense Study Group, CDSG Press, CDSG Digital Library
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