Brooklyn's Harbor Defense Museum faces possible closure as community pushes back

"The museum, located inside Fort Hamilton, is a small, one-man operation spanning about 2,000 square feet. It draws roughly 4,000 students annually, teaching them about the fort's role in defending New York City. "This area sits on the entrance to the New York Harbor at the Narrows," Batt said. "So Fort Hamilton was here to protect the city from a naval attack. You could say it was the front door of the harbor.""

"The future of Brooklyn's Harbor Defense Museum hangs in the balance after the U.S. Army placed it on a list of potential closures, a move sparking pushback among community members and local officials. One-man operation teaches thousands of students per year Justin Batt, curator of the decades-old museum, has spent years sharing the borough's military history with thousands of students and visitors. "After we declared independence on July 4, 1776, the largest battle of the entire American Revolution was fought in present-day Brooklyn," Batt said."

The Harbor Defense Museum at Fort Hamilton is on a U.S. Army list of potential closures. Justin Batt curates the 2,000-square-foot museum as a one-person operation that educates about 4,000 students annually. The museum houses about 3,000 artifacts, including a rare 18th-century Dutch pistol similar to weapons used in the fight for independence. Fort Hamilton celebrated its 200th birthday and occupies ground where British forces landed 249 years ago to begin the Battle of Brooklyn. Critics call the possible closure a cost-cutting measure by the Army's Center of Military History, prompting pushback from community members and Councilmember Justin Brannan.

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