Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District
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Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District | |
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| Location | Sandy Hook, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°26′41″N 73°59′44″W / 40.44472°N 73.99556°W |
| Area | 4,584 acres (1,855 ha) |
| Built | 1859 |
| Built by | United States Army |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002505[1] |
| NJRHP No. | 2024[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 24, 1980 |
| Designated NHLD | December 17, 1982[3] |
| Designated NJRHP | October 3, 1980 |
Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District that includes Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Ground on Sandy Hook in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 24, 1980, and designated a National Historic Landmark on December 17, 1982.[1][3] It is part of Gateway National Recreation Area, administered by the National Parks of New York Harbor office of the National Park Service.
Sandy Hook Proving Ground was founded in 1874 for the testing and development of artillery. It served in this role until 1918–19, a period which included the nation's rise to a position of global power. Weapons developed here were deployed for use both as coastal defenses elsewhere in the United States, and by the United States Army for field use. Surviving buildings associated with its use include test batteries, magazines, and a gun park, as well as bombproof observation structures and target platforms. The Sandy Hook property also includes an early life saving station built by the United States Life-Saving Service (a predecessor to the United States Coast Guard), and the 1764 Sandy Hook Light, the nation's oldest working lighthouse.[4]
