Brooklyn's Harbor Defense Museum faces possible closure as community pushes back
The future of Brooklyn's Harbor Defense Museum hangs in the balance after the U.S. Army placed it on a list of potential closures, a move sparking pushback among community members and local officials.
One-man operation teaches thousands of students per year
Justin Batt, curator of the decades-old museum, has spent years sharing the borough's military history with thousands of students and visitors.
"After we declared independence on July 4, 1776, the largest battle of the entire American Revolution was fought in present-day Brooklyn," Batt said.
The museum, located inside Fort Hamilton, is a small, one-man operation spanning about 2,000 square feet. It draws roughly 4,000 students annually, teaching them about the fort's role in defending New York City.
"This area sits on the entrance to the New York Harbor at the Narrows," Batt said. "So Fort Hamilton was here to protect the city from a naval attack. You could say it was the front door of the harbor."
The museum houses about 3,000 artifacts, including a rare 18th-century Dutch pistol similar to the weapons used in the fight for independence.
Fort Hamilton, itself, recently celebrated its 200th birthday, marking centuries of military history on the same ground where British forces landed 249 years ago to begin the Battle of Brooklyn.
"We're fighting to save it"
Recently, longtime visitors were dismayed to learn the museum may be closed as part of what critics are calling a cost-cutting measure by the Army's Center of Military History.
"I can't imagine with a federal budget as large as it is that this is somehow going to save us money," said Councilmember Justin Brannan, who has written to Army leadership urging them to reconsider.
"Kids go here on class trips, I used to come here," Brannan said. "Some people didn't even know it existed. And now that we're fighting to save it, it's sort of one of those things where you don't know what you got until it's gone."
Local resident Kevin Hanley, who said he visits the museum several times a month, was equally upset.
"I'm very ticked. Very, very upset," Hanley said. "History is important. As they say, if you don't learn it, you're bound to repeat it. Brooklyn has vast history."
Advocates likely have until July 4, 2026 to save the museum
A spokesperson for the Center of Military History issued a statement saying, in part, "The Army Museum Enterprise (AME) will reduce from 41 museum activities at 29 locations to 12 field museums and four training support facilities..."
The spokesperson added that no specific closure dates have been decided yet and that any changes would not take effect until after the United States' 250th birthday celebration.
Batt says the museum has seen renewed interest and is planning a series of commemorations for next year's festivities.
"We have noticed in the last six months more guests, more visitors as the community, as the public, continues to learn more about the connection of the site to the Battle of Brooklyn," Batt said.
Community members hope that history will inspire the Army to keep the museum's doors open for generations to come.
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