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Fort Hamilton, N.Y., is among the oldest and most historic installations of the U.S. Army. The seacoast fort at the Narrows, once part of a series of installations for protecting New York Harbor and City from naval forces, is now the Army's primary presence in the New York City metropolitan area.  Fort Hamilton was established after the American Revolutionary War that gave birth to the United States. Actual construction on Fort Hamilton began in 1825. 

In the 30 years it was in service before the Civil War, Fort Hamilton saw duty by two of the Confederate Army's greatest generals. Capt. Robert E. Lee began service as the fort engineer in 1841, waterproofing the fort and upgrading batteries on both sides of the Narrows and Lt. Thomas Jackson served as an artillery officer at Fort Hamilton after returning from the Mexican War in 1848.

During the Civil War, the Union used Fort Hamilton to train volunteer regiments and to defend the harbor, placing barrier chains and floats across the Narrows and installing there the biggest muzzle-loading cannon ever cast in the United States.

During WWI, Fort Hamilton, now equipped with new breech-loading anti-ship guns, mortars and electric mines, served as a training, embarkation and separation center, and again during WWII. Between the wars it became an infantry center, as a new generation of coastal artillery able to engage ships from greater distances was installed farther away from the city.

During the Korean War, the installation, now under First U.S. Army as a staging area for UN troops going to fight on the Asian peninsula.

In 1975, Fort Hamilton and its sub-installations (Fort Totten and Belmore) were designated New York Area Command and Fort Hamilton came under Fort Dix, N.J.  In October 1997, Fort Hamilton joined the U.S. Army Military District of Washington. 

Today, it is the home of a U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion and the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPs) for New York City.  Hamilton also supports over 300 Reserve and National Guard units. As the only active Army post in the metropolitan area, the fort does work once performed by several installations. It now serves the region's large retired and reserve communities and headquarters one of the busiest of the Army's recruiting battalions.