Exploring a Bomb Proof
On May 29, 2008, Bill MacMullen and Jake Epstein of the Fort Nathan Hale Museum Committee shared information highlighting Fort Nathan Hale and its Museum development plans with nearly 100 security professionals at the InfraGard Connecticut Quarterly meeting convened at Camp Rell. The event began with the Pledge of Allegiance to Our Flag featuring Black Rock Fort with the Betsy Ross Flag displayed on three large presentation panels. This was to honor Memorial Day and our men and women who continue to serve.
During a break and just before his presentation, Deputy Commissioner Wayne Sanford of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) and former Fire Chief for the Town of East Haven, asked us to display the Black Rock Fort during his presentation. Commissioner Sanford related how he and his son, an Eagle Scout member of Boy Scout Toop 401 and others had labored over a summer excavating a Bombproof at Fort Nathan Hale. This highlighted the role and meaning of the Fort and lead into Bill's discussions where he eloquently highlighted the similarity in missions of Fort Nathan Hale as an early bastion for the security and commerce in the region and InfraGard's role today to help protect the State's and Nation's Critical infrastructures.
Information on DEMHS is available at: http://www.ct.gov/demhs
Information on Infragard CT is available at: https://secure.infragard-ct.org
In the map above, objects 7 and 10 are Bombproof shelters. Here soldiers stayed when not managing the guns - 10. was large enough to protect the entire garrison. These were erected to house and support the garrison tasked with protecting New Haven Harbor during the Civil War. There are reports of emotions being expressed leading up to the Civil War about the British Invasion of just 70 years before that threatened to destroy the Harbor on July 5, 1779. This and other security considerations led to the construction of the Civil War Fort. tasked to protect the critical transportation and commerce infrastructure of the region..
Projects have been on going to restore bombproofs and in recent years, the focus has been on number 7 on the map. For several seasons, the Bombproof served to store artifacts and support restoration projects, however begriming with the 2008 season, the bombproof will be available for tours.
A special thank you to Fort Nathan Hale Restorations Projects, Inc member and volunteer, Glen Gordon of New Haven. In 2007, vandals gained access to the Bomproof by penetrating the metal gates. Glen reinforced the gates by welding materials that did not compromize the historical authenticiy of the facility. This has thwarted subsequent intrusions into the space.
The pictures below feature work group parties by the Topographic Engineers who did much work on the Fort, a group shot of Troop 401 at the Black Rock Fort and scenes of the Bombproof. The scouting and Bombproof pictures were taken on Opening Day, May 24, 2008.
March 2002 Work Party - Topographical Engineers
Troop 401 at Black Rock Fort, Opening Day 2008
Scenes of the Bombproof, Opening Day 2008
