Ruins of Battery Arrowsmith at Fort Hancock in the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
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Construction on Battery Arrowsmith began in 1905 and was completed in 1909. Both it and Battery Granger were built as replacements for the outdated Battery Potter, with Arrowsmith’s guns covering Sandy Hook Bay and Granger’s the mouth of the bay. It was named after Lieutenant Colonel George Arrowsmith, a native of Middle Township, New Jersey, who died at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Ruins of Battery Arrowsmith at Fort Hancock in the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
Battery Arrowsmith was outfitted with three 8-inch M1888MI guns mounted on M1894 disappearing carriages. These carriages allowed the guns to be loaded while hidden behind a defensive wall of the battery, then raised above the wall when ready to fire. The recoil from the blast sent the carriages back down to the loading position. All of this was done by a counterweight system provided by the carriage. With this type of system the guns could fire two rounds per minute.
The following video demonstrates a disappearing gun at Battery Chamberlain in San Francisco that uses the counterweight system. These are 6-inch guns, but the concept of operation is the same.
Battery Arrowsmith remained active until 1920. At this time all three disappearing carriages were scrapped as part of a disarmament program after World War I. The guns themselves remained until being sent back to the Wavervliet Arsenal in New York in 1927. They were eventually melted down in 1942 during a World War II scrap drive.
All that remains of Battery Arrowsmith today are ruins, and unlike many of the other batteries at Fort Hancock that you can drive to in your car, visiting it requires a hike. The battery is located at the northern end of Horseshoe Cove at the farthest point on a shark tooth-shaped piece of land known as Sandy Point. The closest place to park is at Camp Gateway Sandy Hook, but only those camping can use this parking lot. Everyone else must use either Parking Lot L to the south (.5-mile walk) or the parking lot at Guardian Park to the north (.6-mile walk).
Battery Arrowsmith at Fort Hancock is located at the far end of a pebble-strewn beach in the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
Remains of Battery Arrowsmith at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
The disappearing guns of Battery Arrowsmith were located on the north side of Sandy Point facing Sandy Hook Bay, but unlike the more intact batteries at Fort Hancock where you can actually see the disappearing gun pits, it’s hard to tell what’s what at Battery Arrowsmith. Based on architectural drawings of the battery and current 3D satellite renderings, the location of the disappearing guns is on what is now the beach area in front of the existing ruins. The two semi-circular shapes in the 3D photo below are the bases of two of the old gun pits, and the third pit is now in the water. This area is covered in sand and pebbles, so I never even noticed that I was walking on part of the battery.
Architectural drawing of Battery Arrowsmith at Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook
Satellite view of Battery Arrowsmith matching the above architectural drawing
Based on some old photos I saw on the Library of Congress website, it appears that much of the northern point shoreline has eroded away over the last hundred years, and sections of Battery Arrowsmith ended up falling into the bay. I don’t think there is anything remaining underwater, and most likely the National Park Service (or perhaps the U. S. Army itself) carted away much of the old concrete that toppled over or was on the verge of falling on somebody’s head. Without a doubt, there was once much more concrete than what remains today. In fact, had I not known I was visiting a battery, I would have thought I was looking at the ruins of some sort of anonymous concrete buildings. Most of the ruins are covered in graffiti, and while that may sound degrading to the battery’s legacy, all the bright colors make what’s left of it more interesting to photograph.
Satellite view of Fort Hancock’s Battery Arrowsmith, Gateway National Recreation Area
Ruins of Battery Arrowsmith at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
Ruins of Battery Arrowsmith at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
On the south side of Sandy Point is what appears to be the remains of a dock, but that’s just a guess. Per the architectural drawings I saw, it is not an integral part of the defensive battery. Again, the colors of the paint used for the graffiti make the structures wonderful subjects to photograph.
View of Fort Hanock’s Battery Arrowsmith from the south beach ruins, Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
Ruins of Fort Hancock’s Battery Arrowsmith on the south side of Sandy Point in the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
View of Fort Hanock’s Battery Arrowsmith from the south beach ruins, Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
Ruins of Fort Hancock’s Battery Arrowsmith on the south side of Sandy Point in the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
Ruins of Fort Hancock’s Battery Arrowsmith on the south side of Sandy Point in the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area
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Last updated on November 30, 2024
