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October 13, 2005
Soggy Tilden
The weather did not want to cooperate with our plans [read: it was POURING] this past weekend, but we did not let that stop us. Because kids, let’s face it-- there is nothing like a rainy day to head out to an abandoned fort in Far Rockaway.
The subway and bus ride entailed in order to get to Fort Tilden is quite amazing. The shuttle train literally travels on one skinny track across the Beach Channel, creating an amazing contrast between the scratchiti-ed windows of your subway car and the choppy water that sloshes on either side. You pass by marshlands and summerhouses and expect egrets to pop their heads out at any second. Finally, you are deposited in what could be any seashore town with a bit of urban grit across the eastern seaboard. Except this time, you are in Queens. Go figure.
We arrived at Fort Tilden, whose 317 acres are now part of the Gateway National Park, in early afternoon. The fort was established in 1917. Battery Harris, which I guess is the “main attraction” of this visit, was designed to house a gigantic hulking gun that could rotate 360 degrees (and later, only 145 degrees).
The actual battery is lodged within a sand dune. In the 30’s and 40’s, the dune was covered with a camouflage net. These days, it is actually camouflaged by nature—sand dunes and tree scrub is everywhere. The parks department has built a walkway so that you can stand atop of the battery and see the panorama of Far Rockaway and beyond.
Of course, there are neither giant guns (though a Nike missile can still be viewed, if you are into that kind of thing, near the visitors center) nor military at Battery Harris anymore, but there were signs of others afoot. The bars of the battery were rusted and, um, missing...in some places with human-sized holes, giving one a clear camera shot into the fort.
By far, my favorite spots at Fort Tilden were the building shells, located closer to the edge of the park. There was no clear notation as to what these buildings once were, however they resembled mess halls or showering area, leading us to wonder if they were actually part of the fort or built later, once the parks department acquired ownership. Regardless, their starkness against the beach—and the ominous weather—provided a beautiful image.
Posted by callalillie at October 13, 2005 4:29 AM | City Life
, Fun Stuff
corie,
i must delurk - especially after tracking back to your urban arch posting in august. what did you decide. having completed an MA in architectural history - focusing on industrial and railroad structures - i realised late in the game that i should have studied industrial archeology. alas... i say, there are too few people out there who can articulate their visual appreciation for the industrial, and, to a lesser degree, the built environment. go ffor it - the culture needs you. (also, if you haven't already, check out the series of books by the bechers, photographers of the industrial landscapes - they're masterpieces!)
one more thing, how do you feel about introducing two new cats to your two? i'm on the verge of doing the same thing and have terrible anxiety about it.
best wishes, and i enjoy your blog tremendously!
Posted by: brandy at October 13, 2005 9:17 AM
i still haven't decided...in fact, i'm stuck in a rut. what i would really love to do is enter an architectural preservation program, however that requires 2 things that i do not have: experience in architecture (i am more interested in the social aspects of arch. rather than the actual technical design, though i know they go hand in hand) and full time committment. i have to decide soon...hopefully i can make some appointments with departmental admissions counselors in the next few weeks.
as for the cats...i am not looking forward to introducing our 4 cats to one another. i am sure that it will be fine, as long as our apartment is big enough and has more than one room...
Posted by: corie at October 13, 2005 10:41 AM
Oh my god, that last picture. It's amazing. I'm totally in love with it.
Posted by: breana at October 13, 2005 11:22 AM
Posted by: nicole at October 13, 2005 11:56 AM
silence, woman! you DO NOT want this rain. it is icky.
Posted by: corie at October 13, 2005 11:57 AM
not that you want to move to VA, but look into the M. Arch. Hist. program and UVA. it;s an MA in arch history with a certificate in hist preservation - focusing on the socio-cultural aspects of arch. those with no architectural skill need not worry, they teach you in the MA program.
look into it http://www.arch.virginia.edu/history/
Posted by: brandy at October 13, 2005 1:31 PM
You were so close to my 'hood! I live like twenty minutes away.
Posted by: Cynthia at October 13, 2005 3:40 PM
You might want to try to get up to DIA: Beacon if you haven't already (we may have had this conversation), but they have a whole room of Becher photos that are stunning.
But you should go there some weekend just because I want to and I can't.
Posted by: Bill at October 13, 2005 5:45 PM
I've only been to the New York area a handful of times, so please forgive me if what I'm about to say sounds ignorant...
...but your photographs are very "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
I'm just sayin'.
Beautiful work.
K.
Posted by: Chookooloonks at October 14, 2005 4:17 PM
I've been enjoying your blog for several weeks now. Your paths seem to cross a lot of mine from decades gone by. I grew up in Clinton Hill (50's-early 70's) then lived in Douglaston, Queens till 1978. I've been in Maine or New Hampshire most of the time since (yes, you had nice pix of Maine too this summer - glad you like it here).
As a kid my best friend's father was an Army reverveist and had a pass to go to Ft. Tilden. We used to go there several times each summer to go to the beach (my family frequented Riis Park). I remember when those bunkers were still loaded with missles which every once and a while would be hoisted out of their bunkers. It was still an active base and pretty cool for a 10 year old.
Many years later - after Gateway was created - my parents enjoyed taking a ride down there in the winter to walk and get some fresh air. Brings back nice memories.
I spent much time in The Slope in the 70's hanging out at various watering holes on 7th Ave. Had a lot of friends in your neighborhood.
Keep it coming...
-jeb
Posted by: johneric at October 14, 2005 10:06 PM
