NY-73 Summit/Watchung Nike Missle Site
Posted by: 
unimoggers
N 40° 41.404 W 074° 21.584
18T E 554099 N 4504549
Mr Bender has written and designed a historical marker for the former Launcher Area, currently the site of the Watchung Stables, but I didn't see it there.
Waymark Code: WM1RD3
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 06/30/2007
Views: 196
Here is the data for NY-73 which can be found at the link below.
Union County Dept. of Parks and Recreation,Union County, New Jersey
The launcher site is now the new site of Watchung Stables, operated by the Union County Park Commission. The old stable site was destroyed by the construction of US 78. There is no evidence of the launcher site remaining. The IFC site was in back of Governor Livingston Regional High School. When the writer was a student there (1969-1972) there were still some structures standing, but everything except some fencing is now gone. Both of these properties were originally owned by the county which were reverted when the Army moved out. The launcher site was used as a county civil defense site for a few years, then left to the usual ravages.
Interestingly, plans were made to create a "dual" site with 6 magazines and two IFCs at NY-73. These plans were never realized. The site was only operational for about 4 years. It's construction was hotly contested by county residents, which helped to delay its siting and construction. After its "sister" sites (Livingston/East Hanover and S. Plainfield) were converted to Hercules operations, it was finally closed in late 1962.
Link to Ed Thelen's Nike location page that includes the site you are submitting: [Web Link]
Parking location: Not Listed
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