| Fort Tilden | |
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| Queens, New York | |
| Type | Army Reserves Post |
| In use | 1917-1995 |
| Controlled by | U.S. Army |
| Garrison | 5/5th Field Artillery, 187th Infantry Brigade |
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Fort Tilden Historic District
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16" gun Casemate
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| Location: | Rockaway Beach Blvd., New York, New York |
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| Built: | 1917 |
| Architect: | U. S. Army |
| Architectural style: | No Style Listed |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
| NRHP Reference#: | 84002917 |
| Added to NRHP: | April 20, 1984[1] |
Fort Tilden, also known as Fort Tilden Historic District, is a former United States Army installation in the New York City borough of Queens and part of Gateway National Recreation Area. It is located on the Rockaway Peninsula between Jacob Riis Park to the east and Breezy Point to the west. All three sites are operated by the National Park Service.[2]
Fort Tilden today is largely a natural area of beach, dunes and maritime forest. Most of the old military installations are abandoned, though some buildings have been renovated and are used by local arts groups. Atop one of the old batteries, Battery Harris East, is a viewing platform offering 360-degree views that encompass the city, New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. The area is popular with bird-watchers and other nature-lovers and is widely used for fishing.[3]
Following a number of temporary military installations on or near the location dating as far back as the War of 1812, and ending with Naval Air Station Rockaway (the departure point of the first transatlantic flight), the fort was established about the time of American involvement in World War I in 1917. It is named after Samuel J. Tilden, one-term governor of New York State and Democratic Presidential candidate in 1876. The fort first served as a coastal artillery installation and ended its service as a Nike Hercules and Nike Ajax missile site. Fort Tilden remained an Army installation until 1974 when it was decommissioned and turned over to the National Park Service, and made part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. A number of structures are included in an historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the cement casemates for the largest cannon (16" bore) ever employed on land up to that time.
From the late 60's till at least 1978 it was an Army Reserve Post housing a signal corp unit, the 411th Engineers, and an Army Reserve self propelled 8" Howitzer battalion, originally the 5/51st FA and renamed in the early 70's the 7/9th FA. From the late 60's till the 1980s it served as a United States Army Reserve post, with the 187th Infantry Brigade's 5/5th Field Artillery; a towed-105mm howitzer battalion stationed there until the 187th was deactivated in 1995. It was also the location of the 411th Engineer Brigade, which was headquartered there from 1968 to 1978.