New Jersey’s historic Camp Evans was trashed by vandals who police say broke 17 windows and damaged a garage at the former wireless telegraph station that played a pivotal role during World War II.
Wall Township police said an estimated $8,500 worth of destruction was done when the property was ravaged sometime within the past week.
“The historic officer quarters and surrounding buildings at Camp Evans are irreplaceable assets to the community,” police said in a statement Wednesday. “Their unique construction and historical significance make repairs difficult and costly when they are damaged.”
Authorities have yet to identity any suspects. They’re asking that anyone with information or who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the area to contact Wall police.
Camp Evans was established in 1912 by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America.
According to the Southwest Museum of Engineering, Communications and Computation, “the U.S. Army Signal Corps helped win WWII with radar devices built in Monmouth County, many built right at Camp Evans.”
The camp is credited with providing radar that helped detect Japanese attack planes headed to Pearl Harbor, as well as devices that detonated the atomic bombs over Japan as fighting in Asia came to an end.
The U.S. Army closed Camp Evans to reduce costs in 1993, according to New Jersey’s InfoAge Science & History Museums. Camp Evans received landmark designation in 2012.
Originally Published:
