Hancock Field, Syracuse: Old Base Housing (Thompson, North Syracuse: power lines, houses, neighborhoods)

[chakkuri]

I'm a military brat and thinking of visiting some of the places we were stationed at during my childhood. One of them was Hancock Air Field in the mid 70's. Is the base housing still there? (I remember we lived on Montauk Circle near Taft Road.) And is it publicly accessible? I'd love to see the old haunt again. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[vicarian]

I'm pretty sure when most of the base was closed in the early 90s, most of the housing went with it. Other than a business park that was created from some of the old buildings, most of it is empty/gone. The site itself and what abandoned buildings that are left might be accessible.

[bellafinzi]

I believe the Hancock Air Field housing is full of asbestos and needs to be torn down. Who knows why it hasn't been done by now. Just a guess...our leadership is so focused on stopping suburbs from growing, they refuse to invest much time or money into the old suburban blighted areas..in favor of only investing in the old city neighborhoods. Our leadership is obsessed with "sprawl" and ways of stopping it. Even going so far as saying that they are glad this area hasn't grown for the past 40 years or else we'd have even more suburbs. Sorry to go off topic. Hancock Air Field housing just reminds me that both the local media and the local leadership are clueless about revitalizing this region.

Here are a couple pictures I took of what the former Hancock Air Field looks like from Taft Road...

[chakkuri]

Thank you both for your replies. And I really appreciate the photos, bellfinzi. Those are indeed the houses we lived in!

[ensoleille]

Hi. I registered for this site just to respond to this post.

It's not "publically open" for visitors, in fact much of it reads Restricted. The buildings are all open, busted... lots of bullet casings and stuff. Some power lines down, can't really drive through. Walking is possible. I will have pictures developed eventually.
ghostninja_ue - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

There are some pics - not mine. I hope this is helpful. You can look it up on Google Earth too.. You can tell what's still there.
- Katherine

[babydoll88722]

Hello, my name Tarryn Mento and I'm a student journalist currently researching that area that you speak of in Syracuse, NY at the Hancock Air Base. I would love to ask you a few questions if you had the chance it would really help me out. I haven't been able to find out too much about the area. It's only for a school project, nothing will be published, it's just for a grade but I've recently become more interested in the area once I learned my grandfather actually worked in the produce area in the store located on the base. If you could please ge tback to me or send me your email so I could ask you some questions I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much and please get back to me soon.

[mfayard]

My dad was stationed at Hancock with the Army to the Sage Bldg. We lived on Montauk Circle, I don't remember the number. I saw the pictures that someone posted and the buildings look very familiar. I remember some of the family names that were there at the same time. They were: Case, Kacer, Fortier, Strayhorn, Valahose, Kamerer, and Goodman. Some of the spelling I'm not sure of. I've been on Google Map and have looked at the housing on Montauk and it looks like they are still there, but overgrown and run down. It brings back memories. My brothers and sister went to North Syracuse HS and I went to Roxboro Road Middle School.

[ckhthankgod]

Actually, you can still drive into that area if you take Thompson Road and turn left into that part of the old Base. I think the North Syracuse Fire Department uses it for training. I wish they could have revived it and used it for regular housing, like many other old Air Bases have done across the country.

[chakkuri]

Oh my God! I remember some of those names - Kacer and Goodman. I remember going to the elementary school with a Jim Kacer and Shannon Goodman. It looks like you moved in the year I moved out, mfayard.

[chakkuri]

Thanks Katherine for the photo link. Looking at those pictures gave me the chills! It sure looked different 35 years ago when it was full of life - kids on bikes, dads in military fatigues coming home at the end of the day, moms visiting neighbors, the Christmas Day snow we had in 1973, etc.