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own new weapons. The Sandy Hook
Peninsula met the Army's needs for an experimental testing area for heavy ordnance and was on land that was already government owned, which provided flat and open areas for testing. Sandy Hook was distant enough to be far from towns but close enough to large cities and transportation by water. In 1874, most of Sandy Hook was covered with holly and cedar forests and tidal marshes which still cover a large percentage of it today. Most of the Federal development of the Hook was concentrated on the northern end. A huge granite
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471:, established on the northeastern shore in 1854. It was decided to lay out the Proving Ground on the eastern margin of the Hook, just below the southeast bastion of a Civil War-era fort. The firing range was to extend southward along the beach with the facilities consisting of the wooden gun platforms of the proof battery, a bombproof, a frame instrument house, and sand butts on the firing range.
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were tested at Sandy Hook. Over time, several red brick buildings, including structures used as maintenance buildings and an
Officers Club, were built as part of the Proving Ground. When Fort Hancock was commissioned in 1895 as a Coast Artillery Post, it shared the peninsula with the Proving Ground.
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The Civil War, just ten years earlier, had introduced several new innovations in weaponry. Rifled cannon fired pointed-nosed projectiles farther and faster than cannonballs and ironclad warships with mounted guns that could destroy the walls of a traditional fort. The Army needed a place to test its
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cannons made of steel were introduced. They had greater ranges and more striking power. When new models of guns and mortars passed their ordnance tests, they were mass-produced at gun foundries around the country and then sent to Sandy Hook for testing before being issued for use. Many new types of
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When Fort
Hancock did not want civilians near its facilities, the civilian railroad was moved to a dock in the Spermaceti Cove vicinity and later removed altogether. Later, the Sandy Hook Proving Ground took over the railroad on the Hook, and utilized it for passenger, troop train, and railway gun
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The "Proof
Battery," where new and converted guns would be fired, was built at the northeastern end of Sandy Hook along the ocean side. The firing range extended 3,000 yards (2,700 m) south along the beach and for long range test firing, guns would be aimed out to sea to provide the necessary
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near the northern end of the Hook dominated the area, even though it was still incomplete and was destined never to be completed. In addition to the fort, there was the
Engineer's wharf, erected on the western shore in 1857, to accommodate the fort's construction, the Engineers' shop and quarters,
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To test the guns' striking power, armor-piercing projectiles were fired at large, thick iron plates, similar to those used in making warships. These tests proved that rifled Rodman guns could penetrate the armor but only at limited distances. In the 1880s, new high- powered, breech-loading rifled
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for New York Harbor. However, as guns could hit targets further and further away, Sandy Hook lacked enough space to test new long-range guns. In 1919, when Sandy Hook could no longer contain the ever-increasing range of larger and more powerful weapons, testing was moved to the
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In 1900, Proof
Battery was relocated because of Fort Hancock's need for the location to build a gun battery. The new Battery was built southeast of its old location. The eastern end of the new Proof Battery was designed for test firing machine guns, field and siege guns, and
453:. Essentially abandoned in 1919 for a larger facility, the area was left to degrade and most of the structures still remain today. The proving ground and parts of Fort Hancock are now property of the National Park Service and mostly closed to the public.
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After its formal establishment in 1874, it was nearly two years before facilities were completed that allowed staffing and testing to reach its potential. Because of the period of time involved, the bulk of the weaponry designed, built and installed for
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railroad was completed to the mainland and connected with commercial railroad lines that were originally built to allow civilians from steamships to travel down the shore. It is believed that the
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on rails to lift guns and carriages onto the platforms to be tested, or "proved". These platforms were part of the "new" Proof
Battery, established in 1901 because of boundary disputes with
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581:. A dual military command existed with the Sandy Hook Proving Ground – contained within the site of Fort Hancock – continuing to test ordnance equipment while the
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smoothbore cannon, converted into an 8-inch (20 cm) rifled gun, was fired. After firing 700 rounds, the
Ordnance Board found the gun to still be "sound and serviceable."
561:. The Sandy Hook Proving Ground's engine was named "General Rodman". When they left circa 1920, the railroad operation was transferred to the engineer unit at Fort Hancock.
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had a dock in
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Abandoned gun platforms and traverses (protective walls, seen on the right) of the Sandy Hook
Proving Ground. Soldiers used a 20-foot
801:"Colden L'H Ruggles in Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy, Volumes III-VIII"
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of land, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) in length and 0.5 miles (varying between 0.1 and 1 miles) wide, in
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Sandy Hook Proving Ground became a permanent installation in 1903 and continued to test weapons through
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distance. The first test firing took place in October 1874, when a 10-inch (25 cm)
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Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
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movements. This also allowed for interchange with Class 1 railroads at
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National Register of Historic Places in Monmouth County, New Jersey
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8" (203 mm), 10" (254 mm), and 12" (305 mm) guns on
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827:"National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form"
737:"National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form"
674:"National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form"
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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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Descriptive display at Sandy Hook. Accessed: September 2, 2010
449:. The facility was operated in conjunction with the adjoining
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615:"Annual Recreation Visitation Report by Years: 2004 to 2014"
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Historic district contributing properties in New Jersey
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U.S. National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
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NPS Stats National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics
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National Park Service: History of the Sandy Hook Unit
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Military Railroads of the New York Metropolitan Area
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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936:Sandy Hook Proving Ground / Fort Hancock pictures
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1040:Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
870:undergoing tests at Sandy Hook Proving Ground.
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573:. During the war, the site was commanded by
88:Location of the Proving Ground on Sandy Hook
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833:. Department of the Interior. p. 3
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743:. Department of the Interior. p. 8
680:. Department of the Interior. p. 2
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1066:Indian Head Proving Ground (inactive)
1055:Abbotts Lagoon Bombing Range Number 2
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16:Former US Army facility in New Jersey
1424:1919 disestablishments in New Jersey
1384:Military installations in New Jersey
1035:Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
1061:Big Lagoon Bombing Target Number 12
417:on August 7, 1874, to serve as the
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405:was a military facility along the
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648:"A place to try out new weapons"
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469:Sandy Hook Life-Saving Station
433:. The facility was located at
43:Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
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972:United States Proving Grounds
912:14" (356 mm) disappearing gun
882:The Proof Battery circa 1900.
652:The Sandy Hook Proving Ground
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1070:Vieques Naval Training Range
799:Thayer, Bill (May 5, 2015).
535:New Jersey Southern Railroad
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1320:National Historic Landmarks
1050:Pacific Missile Test Center
708:"Sandy Hook Proving Ground"
369:December 17, 1982
118:40.46745889°N 73.99922306°W
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1325:National Natural Landmarks
914:being tested at Sandy Hook
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807:. Chicago, IL: Bill Thayer
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82:Sandy Hook Proving Ground
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22:Sandy Hook Proving Ground
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1014:Jefferson Proving Ground
481:Taft and Endicott Boards
384:April 24, 1980
221:August 7, 1874
180:U.S. Ordnance Department
1092:Pacific Proving Grounds
1026:Scituate Proving Ground
999:Kwajalein Missile Range
984:Aberdeen Proving Ground
898:carriages at Sandy Hook
775:"Fort Hancock Railroad"
706:National Park Service.
654:. National Park Service
621:. National Park Service
592:Aberdeen Proving Ground
1389:Sandy Hook, New Jersey
1154:Keeper of the Register
1090:Department of Energy:
805:Bill Thayer's Web Site
587:harbor defense mission
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323:U.S. Historic district
190:Yes, with restrictions
1169:National Park Service
1149:Contributing property
989:Dugway Proving Ground
831:National Park Service
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583:Coast Artillery Corps
559:Highlands, New Jersey
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327:Contributing property
45:in United States
864:14-inch (356 mm) gun
1004:Yuma Proving Ground
464:five-bastioned fort
443:Middletown Township
437:, a narrow coastal
425:for the testing of
413:established by the
366:Designated NHL
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596:Aberdeen, Maryland
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419:United States Army
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245:United States Army
203:Adjoining facility
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550:Fort Hancock
546:gantry crane
527:narrow gauge
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213:Site history
207:Fort Hancock
185:Open to
28:
1353:NRHP Portal
1308:Other lists
866:turret for
837:28 December
784:28 December
747:28 December
721:29 December
684:28 December
658:29 December
625:28 December
571:World War I
565:Final years
525:In 1889, a
288:Remediation
279:Other tests
251:In use
121: /
97:Coordinates
1378:Categories
1234:Gloucester
1224:Cumberland
1209:Burlington
1094:(inactive)
1072:(inactive)
1063:(inactive)
1057:(inactive)
1028:(inactive)
1022:(inactive)
1016:(inactive)
602:References
457:Background
435:Sandy Hook
411:New Jersey
388:1980-04-24
373:1982-12-17
354:ID80002505
338:Visitation
225:1874-08-07
38:Sandy Hook
1254:Middlesex
1244:Hunterdon
868:Fort Drum
811:August 8,
515:howitzers
503:gunpowder
421:'s first
409:coast of
282:Artillery
254:1876-1919
195:Condition
1343:Category
1284:Somerset
1259:Monmouth
1219:Cape May
1199:Atlantic
896:barbette
467:and the
431:materiel
427:ordnance
407:Atlantic
159:Operator
1315:Bridges
1274:Passaic
849:Gallery
386: (
371: (
346:Part of
256: (
223: (
1299:Warren
1289:Sussex
1264:Morris
1249:Mercer
1239:Hudson
1214:Camden
1204:Bergen
1142:Topics
1033:Navy:
982:Army:
495:Rodman
242:
168:
1294:Union
1279:Salem
1269:Ocean
1229:Essex
862:Twin
711:(PDF)
218:Built
149:Owner
41:Near
839:2015
813:2020
786:2015
749:2015
723:2015
686:2015
660:2015
627:2015
439:spit
429:and
401:The
292:None
266:Fate
258:1919
198:Poor
134:Type
594:in
445:in
1380::
910:A
829:.
803:.
777:.
766:^
739:.
713:.
694:^
676:.
650:.
635:^
617:.
598:.
505:,
1127:e
1120:t
1113:v
964:e
957:t
950:v
841:.
815:.
788:.
751:.
725:.
688:.
662:.
629:.
390:)
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352:(
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227:)
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