Post Chapel at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
Tour Stop #24
Building Number 35
Construction Date: 1941
The Post Chapel served all religions when Fort Hancock was in operation. It is one of the only remaining structures built during World War II that still stands at Sandy Hook, as most of these temporary buildings were torn down after the war.
The National Park Service has attempted to lease the buildings at Fort Hancock in exchange for renovation ever since the park opened in 1975, but initially very little effort was put into the program. As a result, many of the buildings have deteriorated at an alarming rate. In 2004, Sandy Hook Partners, LLC (SHP) signed on to renovate and lease 36 buildings, but local citizens and politicians filed a lawsuit to stop this, claiming the National Park Service was privatizing the park. The lawsuit took four years to be resolved, with the National Park Service winning the case in September 2008. However, from the start SHP did not have all of the $70 million needed for the renovations, and with a lawsuit filed, it failed to attract additional investment funds (opponents claimed the money never existed in the first place, which was part of the lawsuit). SHP was able to renovate the Post Chapel, the Post Theater, and the Headquarters Building, but once the recession hit, the SHP dream was over, and in 2009 the National Park Service cancelled the lease on the remaining 33 buildings. After Hurricane Sandy severely damaged the theater in 2012—the source of half of SHP’s rental income—SHP was effectively put out of business.
Remarkably, the chapel was left unscathed by the hurricane. As was the case under SHP’s ownership, the building is used as a rental facility for weddings, funerals, family reunions, and other events. However, reservations are now made directly through the National Park Service. The place is booked up to a year in advance, so plan ahead if you want to hold your event here. For more information, visit the National Park Service’s Sandy Hook Chapel web page for Gateway National Recreation Area.
Next Stop: Officers’ Row | Previous Stop: Army Docks
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Last updated on January 4, 2022
