For First Time Ever, Battery Lewis Opens May 19 To Public

HIGHLANDS, NJ — The Monmouth County Park System is pleased to announce the dedication and opening of the newly restored historic Battery Lewis in the Rocky Point section of Hartshorne Woods Park, Portland Road, Highlands, next Saturday, May 19 at 10 a.m.

This will be the first time in the site's history that Battery Lewis will be open to the general public. A brief ceremony will be held to mark the occasion and the site will have an open house until 4 p.m. that day. Joining members of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Board of Recreation Commissioners at the ceremony are Brigadier General Jemal J. Beale, New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and Captain Pierre A. Fuller, Commanding Officer of NWS Earle.

All are welcome to attend.

During the Open House, visitors are invited to walk from one end of the battery to the other, explore various rooms and learn about the park’s military past through exhibits. These interpretive displays, funded by the Friends of the Parks, provide an overview of the unique geography of the Navesink Highlands and the site’s role in the country’s coastal defense. The exhibit includes a wide array of historical photographs and images as well as reminiscences of veterans who served there.

The four-year project was completed in 2017 and included the restoration of the concrete on the two casemate canopies and wing walls; repairs to the interior concrete walls and historic steel doors; new steel gates, electrical service and lighting; and the addition of a 16-inch gun barrel and the interpretive exhibit. During the restoration, the 224-acre Navesink Military Reservation Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

After the May 19 opening, Battery Lewis will open for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, May 24 through October. These tours, offered on the hour, are free and open to individuals and groups up to 30 people. Please visit www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or call 732-842-4000, ext. 4312, for more information about Historic Battery Lewis, Hartshorne Woods Park or the Monmouth County Park System.

Photo given to Patch by the Monmouth County Park System.