NEW YORK

The CDSG Ambassador to New York is Leo Polaski.  Leo has provided information on Camp Hero and Fort Totten. Camp Hero was visited in January 1999. Leo visited Fort Totten in August 1999.

Fort Totten

Fort Name: (Military Name/Harbor Defense) Fort Totten

Current Site Owner(s): 

Current Site Supervisor:

Mailing Address:

Telephone:

Fax:

Email:

Web Site:

Hours of Operation:

Programs offered at Fort Totten:

Living History: None

Tours:  Jack Fein gives public tours on weekends.

Museum Shop: There is a small but interesting museum operated by Jack Fein.

Restoration Projects: None

Events at the Site: None

Overall Condition of Site: The fortifications are in excellent condition, many of the cantonment buildings are abandoned and in poor condition.

Condition of individual Elements:

Other Elements:

Protective Status of Site:

Support Group:

Contact Person:

Mailing Address:

Phone:

Fax:

Other Contacts at the Site: None

Contact:

Mailing Address:

Phone:

Fax:

Special Situations at the Site: Restrictions on visiting may be imposed by New York City Parks when they take over the property.

Significant Elements at Fort Totten: Unfinished lower battery has a great magazine buried under a hill.  There is a long tunnel from the Upper level to the lower battery.

Projects that would benefit from CDSG funding: None

Overall Condition of Site: Fortifications are excellent; many cantonment buildings abandoned and in poor condition.

Condition of individual Elements: 

Other Elements:

Protective Status of Site:

Support Group:

Contact Person:

Phone:

Fax:

Other Contacts at the Site: None

Contact:

Mailing Address:

Phone:

Fax:

Special Situations at the Site: None

Camp Hero

Fort Name: (Military Name/Harbor Defense) Camp Hero, Harbor Defense of Eastern Long Island Sound

Current Site Owner(s): Montauk Point State Park, but the Camp Hero section is closed to the public.

Current Site Supervisor: Park Manager, Tom Dess

Mailing Address: Montauk Point State Park, Montauk New York

Telephone: (516) 668-3781

Fax: None

Email: None

Web Site: None

Hours of Operation: Not open to the public.

Special Note: The site is strictly closed to the public, and a New York State Policeman and his family live in one of the Air Force housing units on the site.

To visit, one should contact:

Long Island Sate Park Region Permit Office

P.O. Box 247, Babylon,

New York 11702

(516) 669-1000 X 223

Ask for a “Park Use Permit” in order to do historic research at Camp Hero.  The best time to visit is in the Spring and Winter.  Contact Leo Polaski if you would like to visit the site.

Programs offered at Camp Hero: None

Living History: No

Tours: No

Museum Shop: No

Restoration Projects: None

Events at the Site: None

Overall Condition of Site: The batteries are sealed with concrete, the cantonment area is in poor condition.

Condition of individual Elements:

Batteries:  Both 16-inch batteries (Battery 112 and Battery 113 and their PSR’s have been sealed with  poured concrete walls and cannot be entered.  The 6-inch battery (Battery 216) has been sealed by dirt, but the entrance to gun # 1 and can be dug through, as the kids have done.

Other Elements: Most of the Coast Artillery “cottages” housing during World War II are still there, some have been converted into Air Force housing.  They are in poor condition and are scheduled to be demolished by the state later this year.

Protective Status of Site: None

Support Group: None

Contact Person: None

Mailing Address: None

Phone: None

Fax: None

Other Contacts at the Site: None

Contact: None

Mailing Address: None

Phone: None

Fax: None

Special Situations at the Site: The cantonment buildings, wooden houses, mess halls, gymnasium are designed to resemble a seacoast fishing village from the air.  These structures will be demolished this year.

Significant Elements at Camp Hero: None

Projects that would benefit from CDSG funding: None