Fort Hancock

Armed with incredible power and an array of technological and weaponry innovations, Fort Hancock protected New York Harbor from any mode of attack for almost 80 years. Named in 1895 after Civil War hero Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, it sits on the northern tip of New Jersey's seashore on the Sandy Hook peninsula. The fort's evolution serves as a classic example of how the U.S. Army defended American harbors from the War of 1812 through most of the cold war era. It blazed the way in defending a prime U.S. harbor, while boasting impressive and unique architecture. Since 1975, Fort Hancock has been administered by the National Park Service and thousands of visitors delight in its history year round from sunrise to sunset.

Thomas Hoffman has a master of arts in history and became a Fort Hancock park ranger in 1975. He has lived and worked there ever since, writing every historic bulletin, giving lectures, directing countless educational programs, and advising naturalists, archeologists, park planners, historians, and architects. He has been the park historian since 1982, and most images in this volume come from the stunning onsite archive.