Fort Hancock Officers’ Club, Gateway National Recreation Area

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FORT HANCOCK WALKING TOUR

Tour Stop 15: Officers’ Club

Building Number 114
Construction Date: 1878

The 12,000-square foot Fort Hancock Officers’ Club was originally built as housing for officers stationed at the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, a weapons testing facility at the northern end of the Sandy Hook peninsula. When the Proving Ground was moved to Aberdeen, Maryland, in 1919, the building became housing for officers at Fort Hancock. In 1939 it was converted into the Officers’ Club.

Fort Hancock Officers’ Club, Gateway National Recreation Area

Today the Officers’ Club is one of the most deteriorated buildings in the park. The National Park Service is currently offering many buildings at Fort Hancock for lease provided the lessees renovate the buildings back to their historical specifications as much as possible. The Officers’ Club is one such building, and amazingly enough, somebody has submitted a letter of intent to renovate it despite its condition. Even the small buildings require million-dollar investments. If the building has mahogany molding inside, you have to replace it with mahogany molding. You can’t just run down to Home Depot and get plastic molding. The investor plans to convert it into a catering facility—I’ll believe it when I see it—and he also put down letters of intent on three other buildings: one for food and beverage use (Building 40: YMCA) and two for lodging (Building 24 and 25: Enlisted Men’s Barracks).

Fort Hancock Officers’ Club, Gateway National Recreation Area

Fort Hancock Officer’s Club, Gateway National Recreation Area

Porch of the Officers’ Club at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area

Bar-B-Q grills at the Fort Hancock Officers’ Club, Gateway National Recreation Area

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