World War I

Camp Merritt

Dumont & Cresskill, Bergen Co., New Jersey

Camp Merritt was built in 1917 as the staging area for soldiers leaving for the American Expeditionary Forces out of the Port of Hoboken. It became the main replacement depot of World War I. Soldiers spent anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks at Camp Merritt before being ferried to the transatlantic ships at the Port of Hoboken.

The Camp was built to house 2,000 officers and 40,000 men, and over a million soldiers passed through the camp between its opening in 1917 to its decommissioning in November 1919.

Postcards

  • Merritt Hall at Camp Merritt, 1919
    Merritt Hall, the Enlisted Men’s Club of Camp Merritt, N.J. Supervised by Army Chaplains, circa 1919
  • YMCA Auditorium, Seating Capacity over 2,5000 at Camp Merritt, N.J
    YMCA Auditorium, Seating Capacity over 2,5000 at Camp Merritt, N.J
  • Overseas Men Arriving at Camp Merritt, N.J
    Overseas Men Arriving at Camp Merritt, N.J

Photos

Further Reading & Resources

Camp Merritt History – By the Bergen County Historical Society

Camp Merritt History – By the Borough of Cresskill

Camp Merritt Memorial

Panoramic View of Camp Merritt

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