Fort Ruckman

[2] The fort was decommissioned after World War II and the property was sold to the town and to private owners beginning in about 1947.

A Nike target tracking radar was also erected on Bayley's Hill (the eastern edge of the fort) during the 1950s.

During World War II, Fort Ruckman was part of the Harbor Defenses of Boston, and housed the Group Command post for the northern district of the harbor defense artillery and Battery Gardner, two 12-inch guns in east-facing casemates of reinforced concrete.

Today, most of the area within the fort's World War II boundaries has been converted into residential real estate, recreation, or park land for the Town of Nahant.

A geodetic marker, MY0039—RUCKMAN RESET (see photo at left), was emplaced in 1943, likely as a point of reference for aiming the 12" guns.

A 1945 map of the fort. The elongated structures shown are temporary World War II buildings.
One of the two 12-inch gun positions and a fire control tower (at left) for Battery Gardner at Ft. Ruckman.
The geodetic disk (PID MY0039) set in the ground above the galleries of Battery Gardner at Fort Ruckman. Its approximate position is marked on the map above.