Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, New York. It is surrounded by communities such as Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst. Fort Hamilton is named for the United States Army system of the same name. The neighborhood is part of the Brooklyn Community Board 10.
Today, it is the military’s only installation in the New York metropolitan area. As an urban installation, it is bounded on three sides by one of the most densely populated cities in the United States. The Historic Fort area was recognized as the only significant historic landscape at Fort Hamilton and is potentially entitled for the National Register of Historic Places. Fort Hamilton’s way of transportation is served by the BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway at 86th Street and 95th Street.
As of 2010 census, there were 4,157 people residing in the area. The median income for a household in the village is $59,091.
In 1831, the fort was completed and it was known originally as the Narrows, but was later renamed in honor of Alexander Hamilton. It is a military induction center, a service center for more than 300 reserve units and home to the 26th Army Band and about 150 military families. The fort was held the British fleet at bay during the war of 1812 without firing a single shot and perhaps saved New York City from the fate of the nation’s capital which was burned by the British. During the Civil War, Fort Hamilton’s garrison expanded and became an important Federal Prison for captured Confederates. On July 4, 1776, Gen. Henry Knox of the Continental Army used the site to shield the British ship H.M.S. Asia as it approached the harbor.
Fort Hamilton is very suburban community that has condo and co-op mid-rise construction along with the usual single-family houses. The housing boom had been started by the 1915 extension of the New York City subway system to Brooklyn. Many of the stucco or brick private homes built in those years have remained in the same families. Home buying prices are within ranges from $450,000-$1,000,000. It also has many apartments, studios, and penthouses to rent from. Nearly all the apartment buildings have been converted to cooperatives with the most sought-after along Shore Road, which overlooks the Narrows.
The community is home to many Irish, Italian, Hispanic, and Polish immigrants. Many great schools are within the area with educational institutions such as Fort Hamilton School and Fort Hamilton High School located on 83rd street. The Harbor Defense Museum is one of the famous landmarks in the area. The museum has acquired great collection of military artifacts from the Revolutionary War to World War II.
