Fort Tilden, New York

Fort Tilden Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
16" gun Casemate
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Location	Rockaway Beach Blvd., New York, New York
Coordinates	40°34′N 73°53′W / 40.567°N 73.883°W / 40.567; -73.883Coordinates: 40°34′N 73°53′W / 40.567°N 73.883°W / 40.567; -73.883
Built	1917
Architect	U. S. Army
NRHP reference #	84002917
Added to NRHP	April 20, 1984

Fort Tilden, also known as Fort Tilden Historic District, is a former United States Army installation on the coast in the New York City borough of Queens. Fort Tilden now forms part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, and is administered by the National Park Service.

Fort Tilden Historic District is located on the Rockaway Peninsula, between Jacob Riis Park to the east and Breezy Point Tip to the west. All three of these sites are operated by the National Park Service.

Fort Tilden in 2014 has largely become a natural area of beach, dunes and maritime forest. Most of the old military installations are abandoned, and military structures which formerly housed artillery (batteries) and ammunition (magazines) are covered in graffiti. A few buildings have been renovated and are used by local arts groups, and some large open areas are used as sports grounds. Atop one of the old batteries, Battery Harris East, a viewing platform has 360-degree views, which include the city, New York Harbor, and the Atlantic Ocean. The wilder parts of Fort Tilden are popular with bird-watchers and other nature-lovers, and the beach areas are frequently used for fishing.

The fort first served as a coast artillery installation and ended its service as a Nike Hercules and Nike Ajax missile site. However, the historic gun batteries and other military fortifications remain closed to the public. Some of these structures are very hazardous.

The fort was established as Camp Rockaway Beach shortly after the United States entered World War I in April 1917. Several temporary military installations had been built or near the site since the War of 1812 against the British. It was named after Samuel J. Tilden, one-term Governor of New York State and Democratic Presidential candidate in 1876.