In a ribbon cutting ceremony September 5, Fort Hamilton's Harbor Defense Museum reopened its doors after being closed for a year for renovations.
The $1.3 million renovation project, supervised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, included waterproofing the museum's roof and masonry walls and installing a new state-of-the-art heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
"This museum represents an important part of our community," said Col. Eluyn Gines, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton commander. "Fort Hamilton is one of the oldest installations in our nation. Its museum not captures that history but safeguards our culture for today and future generations. It provides the best historical information there is about Fort Hamilton."
The museum was founded in 1980, and is the only Army museum within the City of New York. It is housed in the garrison's caponier, a freestanding bastion located in the dry moat designed to defend the rear of the old fort (1825 -- 1831). The caponier, which is commonly considered the finest example of its kind in the United States, preserves many of the fort's original architectural elements. The fort itself was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
'This is a very small museum compared to many of the other installations and it has had its challenges," said Rich Cox, the museum's director and curator. "The roof leaked for more than a decade threatening the structure and the museum itself. Obtaining the funds to make these necessary renovations seemed nearly impossible. It's still a mystery to me where the money came from, but here we are today with its reopening… Passion for history and the commitment to historic preservation are alive and well on Fort Hamilton."
According to Cox, the museum's mission is to "serve as the custodian and repository of artifacts pertaining to the history of New York City's harbor defenses, with special emphasis upon Fort Hamilton's role in their development…" Other exhibits detail the Battle of Brooklyn/Long Island during the Revolutionary War.
Effective September 9th, the museum's operating hours will be Monday through Friday, and the first Saturday of every month, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and is closed Sundays and national holidays. Admission is free and open to the public.
"This is a special event not just for the Fort Hamilton community, but for the entire Brooklyn and New York City area. It is for all of us to enjoy," Gines said.
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