As part of restoration efforts, a 68-foot-long, 120-ton World War II Navy gun has been brought to Hartshorne Woods Park from the USS New Jersey. PHOTO COURTESY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY PARK SYSTEM A 68-foot-long World War II Navy gun barrel has come to Hartshorne Woods Park in the Highlands section of Middletown. The 120-ton wartime artifact came to the Rocky Point section of the park as part of the Monmouth County Park System’s efforts to restore Battery Lewis.
“Battery Lewis is this old World War II military installation that had these huge gun barrels looking out over the bay as part of coastal defenses,” said Karen Livingstone, public information officer with the park system.
Gail L. Hunton, supervising historic preservation specialist for the park system, said Battery Lewis is a 600-foot casemated battery that was once part of the Navesink Military Reservation, which was built in 1942 as part of the Harbor Defenses of New York, headquartered at Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook.
Battery Lewis became part of Hartshorne Woods Park through two non-cost transfers of surplus land from the U.S. government in 1974 and 1984.
“There is so much history with Battery Lewis, and this restoration is about showing and bringing that history to people, because so many years have gone by and a lot of people might not remember or even know that the country had to use batteries to defend its harbors,” Hunton said.
As part of the restoration efforts, the park has acquired the World War II Navy gun barrel courtesy of the U.S. Navy.
“The gun has been mounted on the USS New Jersey for some time and is now being donated to the park system for permanent display,” Livingstone said.
“After the base was deactivated, the Army had demolished most of the buildings and the guns were removed,” Hunton said. “So when we found out the Navy had stored them on the battleship, we thought it would be cool to have an actual Battleship New Jersey gun right on our own battery.”
Livingstone said the artifact was transported to New Jersey from Virginia by rail.
While restoration is taking place, Livingstone said, the Navy gun barrel will be unloaded into a temporary position next to Battery Lewis.
Once restoration is complete, the artifact will be moved to its permanent display location in the battery casemate — the original location of the guns during the war.
“We really want to show the story and the history behind what happened, and putting the gun barrel back where the guns were originally located during the war will help us do that,” Livingstone said.
Hunton said the park system began the first phase of restoration work on Battery Lewis by restoring the concrete on two casemate canopies and wing walls last year.
With $25,000 in funding assistance from the Friends of the Monmouth County Parks, the county was also able to complete a 150- page nomination of the Navesink Military Reservation to the National Register of Historic Places and an exhibit plan for Battery Lewis.
Some of the funding from the Friends will assist in the setup of three exhibits off the main corridor at the battery — as well as the gun barrel display.
The exhibits are expected to highlight the park’s military past and Battery Lewis through additional artifacts that are currently being acquired by the park system.
They will also focus on the geography of the Navesink Highlands, the Hartshorne legacy and the establishment of Hartshorne Woods Park.
According to Hunton, the final design phase of the restoration, which will take place this year, involves interior repairs and improvements to the battery.
Hunton said once restoration is complete, visitors will be able to walk from one end to the other at the battery.
“There are a lot of aspects that have been thought of and that have gone into this $500,000 project — from moving and restoring the gun to restoring the battery itself — but it is such a crucial part in helping to tell the story of what happened at the battery,” she said.