Description: Fort Tilden: 1917-1974, Queens County, Rockaway Peninsula. A 317 acre Coastal Defense Post established in 1917. Initial WW1 installations included a Mortar Battery of 4- 12 inch mortars, an East Battery named Battery Fergusson with two 6 inch rapid fire guns, and West Battery named Battery Kessler with two 6 inch rapid fire guns. In 1921-49 Battery Harris with two 16 inch guns were added. Later paired with the Navesink Battery on Sandy Hook, NJ, with similar guns. World War 2 also saw the installation of a twin 90 mm Anti Motor Torpedo Boat (AMTB) gun emplacement, installation of coincidence range finders and plotting rooms at the batteries, and a Harbor Entrance Command Post. 1955-1958 Nike-Ajax Site (NY-49), upgraded in 1958-74 as Nike-Hercules. All now part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Remains of some IFC and Launcher areas, gun emplacements and bunkers. These areas are closed to the public for safety reasons.