Steve Markos

Review of Fort Monroe Authority

I am a writer and photographer for National Park P...

I am a writer and photographer for National Park Planner and I visited Fort Monroe National Monument in September 2014. The park preserves the largest masonry fort ever built in the United States. Construction started in 1819 and lasted until 1834, with minor construction projects continuing for years more. The fort is situated on a peninsula that juts out into the Hampton Roads, a section of water between present day Hampton and Norfolk, Virginia, where the James, Elizabeth, and Nansemond Rivers all come together before entering the Chesapeake Bay. Originally known as Point Comfort, the strategic importance of this land has been recognized since the early days of British colonialism in the Americas. Before the days of aerial warfare, to invade another country you needed a navy to transport soldiers to the battlefield. Should the enemy have access to the Hampton Roads it could travel far into the mainland of Virginia on the James River. Controlling the channel was vital to defending the country and the best way to do so would be to build a coastal fort that could rain down lead on any enemy ships that tried passing. What better way to control the channel than with a coastal fort on Point Comfort.

Fort Monroe operated at a military installation until 2011, when it was finally decommissioned. President Obama designated the fort as a National Monument on November 1, 2011. Because this is a relatively new National Park, activities are still in the planning stages. At this time (fall of 2014) the only activities for park visitors are a museum that covers the history of the fort, The Casemate Museum, and a walking tour of the fort and the grounds just outside. The National Park Service also owns the land on the northern end of the peninsula. There are three decrepit batteries (coastal defenses manned with artillery), Battery DeRussy, Battery Anderson-Ruggles, and Battery Church, but all are shuttered and not open to the public. The former officers club, now called the Paradise Ocean Club, was renovated in 2012 and reopened as a private, members-only venture. In addition, there is an RV Park on the property that has been around for years. It was originally a campground for military personnel and families when the fort was still active. It is now privately owned. Both places were leased from the Fort Monroe Authority before the National Park Service took over. The NPS honored the leases, and while now on park land, neither place has anything to do with the NPS.

For complete information on all there is to see and do at the park, visit the National Park Planner web site (npplan).