Fort Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Historic Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City
borough
of Brooklyn
surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge
, Dyker Heights
, and Bensonhurst
, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington
. Its mission is to provide the New York metropolitan area
with military installation support for the Army National Guard
and the United States Army Reserve
.
) fired into one of the British men-of-war convoying troops to suppress the American Revolution
. HMS Asia
suffered damage and casualties, but opposition to the immense fleet could be little more than symbolic. The very significant event however marked one of the earliest uses of the site for military purposes.
The War of 1812
underscored the importance of coastal defense
and helped to promote a new round of fort building. The cornerstone for Fort Hamilton was set in place on June 11, 1825. Six years and a half million dollars later, the fort was ready to receive its garrison.
Though references to the structure as Fort Hamilton occur as early as 1826, it was not officially named for the former Senior Officer of the United States Army
and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton
, until the twentieth century. In 1839 the Federal government gave permission to New York State's 27th Regiment to drill at the fort, thus qualifying it as the nation's first National Guard training camp. The following year, it allocated $20,000 to improve the fort's armaments, and Captain Robert E. Lee
was assigned the task of improving the defenses of the fort as well as those of other military installations in the area. Lee served as Fort Hamilton's post engineer from 1841 to 1846. Lieutenant Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
also served at Fort Hamilton and Captain Abner Doubleday
served as the post commander in 1861.
During the Civil War, Fort Hamilton's garrison expanded. A ship barrier across the Narrows assisted Fort Hamilton and its sister forts on Staten Island
, now called Fort Wadsworth
, in protecting the harbor against the possibility of Confederate
raiders. The forts also provided troops to help put down the New York Draft Riots
of 1863. Rifled cannon made vertical-walled masonry fortifications obsolete during the Civil War
, and in the last decades of the nineteenth century great advances in military technology brought a whole new generation of long-range guns mounted in inconspicuous emplacements. In the two World Wars, Fort Hamilton served as a major embarkation and separation center.
In the 1970s, Fort Hamilton also served as the home for the United States Army Chaplain
and Chaplain Assistant school as it moved from the recently closed Fort Slocum. Hundreds of Army and National Guard Chaplains and their assistants were trained here for active duty and reserve ministries to soldiers and their dependents. The school was later moved to Fort Jackson, South Carolina where it now resides.
Headquarters of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
, the 1179th Transportation Brigade and the 722nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron. Fort Hamilton also supports many Reserve and National Guard units. In October 1997, Fort Hamilton came under the command of the Military District of Washington
and in October 2002, under Army Transformation, Fort Hamilton became part of the Installation Management Agency Northeast Region.
Construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
in the early 1960s destroyed several historic structures, including Fort Lafayette
, which was located near the Brooklyn shore where the bridge tower now rises from the water. But in the same period efforts toward saving the historical heritage of the Narrows increased. Part of the Army's contribution to preserving this heritage is in the Harbor Defense Museum
at Fort Hamilton.
The original fort
later became the Officer's Club and now houses the Community Club. The caponier
(a miniature fort guarding the main fort's gate) now houses the Harbor Defense Museum. Other notable landmarks include the Robert E. Lee
House, where Lee (then a captain) resided while commander of the garrison, and Colonel's Row, six historic townhouses used to house senior officers. All of these structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
In the 2000s, the historic parade field (that once lay behind the old New York Area Command (NYAC) Headquarters Building and the Military Personnel Office), former site of numerous ceremonies and festivities, was developed into swiftly built privatized housing. The historic flag pole and cannon are still present at the site of it near the old headquarters building and across from the Post Exchange barber shop. In 2007, the historic brick barracks (located on the plot of land within Pershing Loop on the eastern portion of the base) that formerly housed the New York Area Command's Ceremonial Platoon and Military Police Company was demolished. The ceremonial platoon (consisting of only Infantry personnel) once performed funeral honors and ceremonial functions (such as Color Guards and numerous New York City parades, firing cannons to start the NYC Marathon) in the New York area, including Long Island, New York City, and parts of New Jersey, along with the 26th Army Band unit, similar to the Old Guard in Washington, D.C. The last of the NYAC Ceremonial Platoon left in 1995-1996.
's novel, Word of Honor.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Sunset Park on the north, Seventh Avenue and Dyker Heights on the east, The Narrows Strait, which partially houses the Belt Parkway, on the west and 86th Street and Fort Hamilton on...
, Dyker Heights
Dyker Heights, Brooklyn
Dyker Heights is a residential neighborhood in the southwest corner of the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City, USA. It is sandwiched among Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Gravesend Bay. According to the Post Office, Dyker Heights is bounded to the west by Interstate 278, to the north by Bay Ridge...
, and Bensonhurst
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.-Geography:Sometimes erroneously thought to include all or parts of such neighborhoods as Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park, or to be defined by the streets where the concentration of...
, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington
Military District of Washington
The United States Army Military District of Washington is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. Its headquarters are located at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C...
. Its mission is to provide the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
with military installation support for the Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
and the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
.
History
On July 4, 1776, a small American battery on the site of today's Fort Hamilton (the east side of the NarrowsThe Narrows
The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean...
) fired into one of the British men-of-war convoying troops to suppress the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. HMS Asia
HMS Asia (1764)
HMS Asia was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 3 March 1764 at Portsmouth Dockyard. She participated in the American Revolutionary War and the capture of Martinique in 1794....
suffered damage and casualties, but opposition to the immense fleet could be little more than symbolic. The very significant event however marked one of the earliest uses of the site for military purposes.
The War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
underscored the importance of coastal defense
Coastal defence and fortification
Coastal defence , Coastal defense and Coastal fortification are measures taken to provide protection against attack by military and naval forces at or near the shoreline...
and helped to promote a new round of fort building. The cornerstone for Fort Hamilton was set in place on June 11, 1825. Six years and a half million dollars later, the fort was ready to receive its garrison.
Though references to the structure as Fort Hamilton occur as early as 1826, it was not officially named for the former Senior Officer of the United States Army
Commanding General of the United States Army
Prior to the institution of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army in 1903, there was generally a single senior-most officer in the army. From 1783, he was known simply as the Senior Officer of the United States Army, but in 1821, the title was changed to Commanding General of the United...
and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
, until the twentieth century. In 1839 the Federal government gave permission to New York State's 27th Regiment to drill at the fort, thus qualifying it as the nation's first National Guard training camp. The following year, it allocated $20,000 to improve the fort's armaments, and Captain Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
was assigned the task of improving the defenses of the fort as well as those of other military installations in the area. Lee served as Fort Hamilton's post engineer from 1841 to 1846. Lieutenant Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
also served at Fort Hamilton and Captain Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was his finest hour, but his...
served as the post commander in 1861.
During the Civil War, Fort Hamilton's garrison expanded. A ship barrier across the Narrows assisted Fort Hamilton and its sister forts on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, now called Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth is a former United States military installation on Staten Island in New York City, situated on The Narrows which divide New York Bay into Upper and Lower halves, a natural point for defense of the Upper Bay and Manhattan beyond. Prior to closing in 1994 it claimed to be the longest...
, in protecting the harbor against the possibility of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
raiders. The forts also provided troops to help put down the New York Draft Riots
New York Draft Riots
The New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself...
of 1863. Rifled cannon made vertical-walled masonry fortifications obsolete during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and in the last decades of the nineteenth century great advances in military technology brought a whole new generation of long-range guns mounted in inconspicuous emplacements. In the two World Wars, Fort Hamilton served as a major embarkation and separation center.
Units
The following units were established at Fort Hamilton:- 5th Coast Artillery 1924
- 12th Infantry Regiment: October 20, 1861
- 21st Infantry Regiment21st Infantry Regiment (United States)The 21st Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment.-Lineage:*Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry*Organized 20 May 1862 at Fort Hamilton, New York...
: May 20, 1862
In the 1970s, Fort Hamilton also served as the home for the United States Army Chaplain
Chaplain Corps (United States Army)
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Army consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned Army officers as well as enlisted soldiers who serve as assistants. Their purpose is to offer religious services, counseling, and moral support to the armed forces, whether in peacetime or at war.-Army...
and Chaplain Assistant school as it moved from the recently closed Fort Slocum. Hundreds of Army and National Guard Chaplains and their assistants were trained here for active duty and reserve ministries to soldiers and their dependents. The school was later moved to Fort Jackson, South Carolina where it now resides.
Today
At present, the United States Army Fort Hamilton Garrison is the home of the New York City Recruiting Battalion, the Military Entrance Processing Station, the North Atlantic DivisionNorth Atlantic Division
The North Atlantic Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one of nine division offices within the Corps. Made up of roughly 3,900 employees in six districts and a Division headquarters, the North Atlantic Division is a major subordinate command and serves to integrate the capabilities of...
Headquarters of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, the 1179th Transportation Brigade and the 722nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron. Fort Hamilton also supports many Reserve and National Guard units. In October 1997, Fort Hamilton came under the command of the Military District of Washington
Military District of Washington
The United States Army Military District of Washington is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. Its headquarters are located at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C...
and in October 2002, under Army Transformation, Fort Hamilton became part of the Installation Management Agency Northeast Region.
Construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay....
in the early 1960s destroyed several historic structures, including Fort Lafayette
Fort Lafayette
Fort Lafayette was an island coastal fortification in the Narrows of New York Harbor, built offshore from Fort Hamilton at the southern tip of what is now Bay Ridge in the New York City borough of Brooklyn...
, which was located near the Brooklyn shore where the bridge tower now rises from the water. But in the same period efforts toward saving the historical heritage of the Narrows increased. Part of the Army's contribution to preserving this heritage is in the Harbor Defense Museum
Harbor Defense Museum
The Harbor Defense Museum, sometimes called, The Caponier, located within the grounds of Fort Hamilton in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn is a 19th century fort, New York City's only military museum and one of only seventy military museums in the United States that is funded and operated by the...
at Fort Hamilton.
The original fort
Casemate Fort, Whiting Quadrangle
Casemate Fort, Whiting Quadrangle, also known as "Old Casemate," Officers Club Bldg. #207, Sentry Booth #220, and Fort Hamilton Community Club, is a historic building located in Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York, New York. The old fort was designed in 1819 and built between 1825 and 1836. It is a...
later became the Officer's Club and now houses the Community Club. The caponier
Caponier
A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" - which strictly means capon-cote i.e. chickenhouse.The fire coming from the feature A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" -...
(a miniature fort guarding the main fort's gate) now houses the Harbor Defense Museum. Other notable landmarks include the Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
House, where Lee (then a captain) resided while commander of the garrison, and Colonel's Row, six historic townhouses used to house senior officers. All of these structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
In the 2000s, the historic parade field (that once lay behind the old New York Area Command (NYAC) Headquarters Building and the Military Personnel Office), former site of numerous ceremonies and festivities, was developed into swiftly built privatized housing. The historic flag pole and cannon are still present at the site of it near the old headquarters building and across from the Post Exchange barber shop. In 2007, the historic brick barracks (located on the plot of land within Pershing Loop on the eastern portion of the base) that formerly housed the New York Area Command's Ceremonial Platoon and Military Police Company was demolished. The ceremonial platoon (consisting of only Infantry personnel) once performed funeral honors and ceremonial functions (such as Color Guards and numerous New York City parades, firing cannons to start the NYC Marathon) in the New York area, including Long Island, New York City, and parts of New Jersey, along with the 26th Army Band unit, similar to the Old Guard in Washington, D.C. The last of the NYAC Ceremonial Platoon left in 1995-1996.
In popular culture
Fort Hamilton is the setting for nearly all of Nelson DeMilleNelson DeMille
Nelson Richard DeMille is an American author of thriller novels. His works include Word of Honor , The Charm School, The Gold Coast, Plum Island, and The General's Daughter .DeMille has also written under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt...
's novel, Word of Honor.