Harbor Defense Museum
By Justin M. Batt
Article published on: April 1, 2024 in the Army History Spring 2024 issue
Read Time: < 4 mins
School groups end their visit with lunch on the Bluff, overlooking the Narrows.
Nestled within the heart of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the Harbor Defense Museum preserves the history of New York
City’s coastal defenses. The museum is part of the Army Museum Enterprise and is an annex of the West Point
Museum. All activities at the museum focus on achieving the museum’s mission, which, as defined by the U.S. Army
Center of Military History, is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret historically significant materiel
related to the history of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton and the seacoast defenses in New York.
In this aerial photograph, Fort Hamilton’s large guns can be seen along the shoreline, ca. 1930.
The only Army museum in New York City, the Harbor Defense Museum has a fine collection of military artifacts. A
large portion of the collection—2,838 items—originally was part of the Fort Wadsworth Military Museum on Staten
Island. Established in 1966, that museum remained open until 1979, when the U.S. Army ceased operations at Fort
Wadsworth. On 11 June 1980, the Harbor Defense Museum opened its doors for the first time at Fort Hamilton.
About 125 artifacts are on display at any given time.
The caponier, shown here ca. 1869, was designed to defend the rear of Fort Hamilton.
Fort Hamilton’s seacoast-facing wall, ca. 1875
The museum is housed in the original caponier—a freestanding bastion located in the dry moat that was designed to
defend the rear of the original fortification. The caponier itself, considered one of the finest examples of
such a structure in the United States, is the museum’s most precious artifact. It has survived largely intact,
preserving many of the fort’s original architectural elements, which have been lost elsewhere to renovations.
The firing of a disappearing gun, ca. 1910
The museum’s storyline focuses on generations of harbor defenses from 1794 to 1950, as seen through the eyes of
Fort Hamilton and the surrounding fortifications in the New York City area. Within this storyline is an exhibit
dedicated to the Battle of Long Island (1776), which began on the grounds that Fort Hamilton sits on today.
The Harbor Defense Museum is located inside the historic caponier.
A docent and a soldier discuss the purpose of a 24-pounder flank howitzer, which was used to
defend against land-based infantry attacks.
Fort Hamilton is one of the oldest continuously serving U.S. Army installations in the country. Built between
1825 and 1831, Fort Hamilton was part of a system of fortifications erected throughout New York City. The fort
is named in honor of distinguished Revolutionary War officer Maj. Gen. Alexander Hamilton. The fort had two
missions. The first was to support actions against enemy warships seeking to pass through The Narrows—the
primary entrance into New York City’s harbor. Its second was to defend against land-based infantry attacks. Fort
Hamilton’s last gun was removed in 1948.
The sixty-first superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland, points
out Fort Lafayette, which is located on an island in the Narrows, in a museum exhibit.
The museum is committed to providing training and educational opportunities to all soldiers of the U.S. Army, as
well as other service members, veterans, and civilians. It welcomes tour groups of all kinds and offers a guided
tour of the museum along with a structured classroom program, which is tailored for various grade levels. The
education programs focus on the development of harbor defenses in the New York City area, a program on the
history of Fort Hamilton, and an engaging presentation on the Battle of Long Island. Included in the Battle of
Long Island program is a demonstration of loading and firing a flintlock musket. The tour concludes on the
bluff, which provides a spectacular view of The Narrows.
Students pose for a group shot during their field trip. Many schools from the New York City area
visit the museum to learn more about Fort Hamilton and the U.S. Army.
The Harbor Defense Museum is located on U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York. Hours of operation
are Tuesday–Friday, 1000–1600. The museum is free and open to the public. Although not required, scheduling an
appointment is recommended before visiting the museum. Nonmilitary visitors require a valid photo ID and a
visitor pass. For more information, please call 718-630-4349 or visit the museum’s website at https://history.army.mil/museums/IMCOM/fortHamilton/index.html.
Author
Justin M. Batt is the curator of the Harbor Defense Museum.