Author Topic: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA  (Read 17379 times)

Offline Arcey

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Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« on: June 07, 2006, 11:50:26 AM »
Pardon the intrusion, gentleman.

Thought some of y'all might be interested in this article...

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=105602&ran=214426&tref=po

I'm of the opinion the place, as well as Fort Wool just across the channel, should be preserved even at great cost.  But that's just me.
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Offline St. George

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2006, 02:23:26 PM »
I was stationed there - writing Doctrine for the Army - and if you've never been there - you need to go and see it - it's one helluva historic Post.

When President Nixon passed, the Salutes fired by both Army and Naval vessels set a perfect tone to the solemnity of the event and the following stillness was profound.

Maintaining it as it is in the form of a National Park would only do it justice - and here's a thumbnail of 'why'...

Fort Monroe, Virginia (also known as Fortress Monroe) is a military installation located at Old Point Comfort on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads on the Chesapeake Bay in eastern Virginia in the United States.

In 1634, the area became part of Elizabeth River Shire, and was included in Elizabeth City County when it was formed in 1643.
The area including Fort Monroe became part of the independent city of Hampton when Elizabeth City County and the Town of Phoebus agreed to consolidate with Hampton in 1952.

Fort Monroe was completed in 1834, and is named in honor of U.S. President James Monroe.

Completely surrounded by a moat, the six-sided stone fort is the only one of its kind left in the United States that is still an active Army post.

Colonial Period

In 1609, Captain John Smith and the colonists of the Virginia Company who established the Jamestown Settlement on the James River in 1607 recognized the strategic importance of the site for purposes of coastal defense and built Fort Algernourne (1609-1612) at the location of the present Fort Monroe.
It is assumed to have been a triangular stockade, based on the fort at Jamestown.
Fort Algernoure burned in 1612.
A second fort, known only as "the fort at Old Point Comfort" was constructed in 1632 and destroyed by a hurricane in 1667.
In 1728 Fort George was built on the site.
Its masonry walls were destroyed by a hurricane in 1749, but the wood buildings within the fort continued to be used by a reduced force until at least 1775.
In 1781, during the siege of Yorktown, the French West Indian fleet established a battery on the ruins of Fort George.
Throughout the Colonial period, fortifications were manned at the location from time to time.

Early 19th Century

Following the War of 1812, the United States again came to realize the importance of protecting Hampton Roads and the inland waters from attack by sea, and construction was begun in 1819 on what would become the largest stone fort ever built in the United States.
The fort features a moat completely surrounding the inner structures.
As a young 1st Lieutenant and engineer in the U.S. Army, Robert E. Lee was stationed there from 1831 to 1834, and played a major role in the final construction of both Fort Monroe and its opposite, Fort Calhoun.
The latter, later renamed Fort Wool, was built on a man-made island across the navigational channel from Old Point Comfort in the middle of the mouth of Hampton Roads.

When construction was completed in 1834, Fort Monroe was referred to as the "Gibraltar of Chesapeake Bay."

The fort accomplished this mission by mounting an impressive complement of the most powerful artillery of the time, 32-pounder guns with a range of over one mile.
In conjunction with Fort Calhoun (later Fort Wool), this was just enough range to cover the main shipping channel into the area.

American Civil War - 1860–61
 
Slaves escape to the fort after Gen. Butler's decree that all slaves behind Union lines would be protected.
The policy was called the "Fort Monroe Doctrine" alluding to Butler's headquarters at the Fort.
Fort Monroe played an important role in the American Civil War.
On December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.
Four months later, on April 12, 1861, troops of that state opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.
Five days later, Virginia became the eighth Southern state to withdraw from the Union, and join the newly formed Confederate States of America.

President Abraham Lincoln had Fort Monroe quickly reinforced so that it would not fall to Confederate forces.
It was held by Union forces throughout the Civil War and several sea and land expeditions were launched from there by Union forces.

A few weeks after the Battle of Fort Sumter in 1861, U.S. Army General-in-Chief Winfield Scott proposed to President Abraham Lincoln a plan to bring the states back into the Union: cut the Confederacy off from the rest of the world instead of attacking its army in Virginia.
His plan was to blockade the Confederacy's coastline and control the Mississippi River valley with gunboats.
In cooperation with the Navy, troops from Fort Monroe extended Union control along the coasts of the Carolinas as Lincoln ordered a blockade of the Southern seaboard from the South Carolina line to the Rio Grande River on April 19, and on April 27 extended it to include the North Carolina and Virginia coasts.

On April 20 the Union Navy burned and evacuated the Norfolk Navy Yard, destroying nine ships in the process, leaving only Fort Monroe at Old Point Comfort as the last bastion of the United States in Tidewater Virginia.
Occupation of Norfolk gave the Confederacy its only major shipyard and thousands of heavy guns, but they held it for only one year.
Confederate Brigadier General Walter Gwynn, who commanded the Confederate defenses around Norfolk, erected batteries at Sewell's Point, both to protect Norfolk and to control Hampton Roads.

The Union dispatched a fleet to Hampton Roads to enforce the blockade, and on May 18–19, 1861, Federal gunboats based at Fort Monroe exchanged fire with the Confederate batteries at Sewell's Point.
The little-known Battle of Sewell's Point resulted in little damage to either side.
Several land operations against Confederate forces also were mounted from the fort, notably the Battle of Big Bethel in June 1861.

Fort Monroe is also the place at which, on May 27, 1861, Major General Benjamin Butler made his famous "contraband" decision, by which escaping slaves reaching Union lines would not be returned to bondage.
The order resulted in waves of enslaved people fleeing to Union lines around Fort Monroe, which was Butler's headquarters in Virginia, and earned Fort Monroe its other nickname of "Freedom's Fortress", as any slave reaching it would be free.

1862
 
In March 1862, the naval Battle of Hampton Roads took place off Sewell's Point between the first ironclad warships, CSS Virginia and USS Monitor.
While the outcome was inconclusive, the battle marked a change in naval warfare and the end to wooden fighting ships.

Later that spring, the continuing presence of the Union Navy based at Fort Monroe enabled Federal water transports from Washington, D.C., to land unmolested to support Major General George B. McClellan's Peninsula Campaign.
Formed at Fort Monroe, McClellan's troops moved up the Virginia Peninsula during the spring of 1862, reaching within a few miles of the gates of Richmond about 80 miles to the west by June 1.
For the next 30 days, they laid siege to Richmond.
Then, during the Seven Days Battles, McClellan fell back to the James River well below Richmond, ending the campaign.
Fortunately for McClellan, during this time, Union troops regained control of Norfolk, Hampton Roads, and the James River below Drewry's Bluff (a strategic point about 8 miles south of Richmond).

1864–96
 
In 1864, the Union Army of the James under Major General Benjamin Butler was formed at Fort Monroe, and the Siege of Petersburg during 1864 and 1865 was supported on the James River from a base at City Point (now Hopewell, Virginia).
Maintaining the control of Hampton Roads at Fort Monroe and Fort Wool was crucial to the naval support Grant required for the successful Union campaign to take Petersburg, which was the key to the fall of the Confederate capitol at Richmond.
As Petersburg fell, Richmond was evacuated in 1865 on the night of April 2–3.
That night, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet escaped Richmond, taking the Richmond and Danville Railroad to move first to Danville and then North Carolina.
However, the cause was lost, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered what was left of the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant at Appomattox Court House the following week.

After the last Confederate cabinet meeting was held on April 26, 1865, at Charlotte, North Carolina, Jefferson Davis was captured at Irwinville, Georgia, and placed under arrest.
He was confined in an unheated, open casemate at Fort Monroe for two years.
Some historians have speculated that his treatment in captivity was intended to be lethal.
In poor health, Davis was released in May 1867 on bail, which was posted by prominent citizens of both Northern and Southern states, including Horace Greeley and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had become convinced he was being treated unfairly.
The federal government proceeded no further in its prosecution due to the constitutional concerns of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase.

The Journal of the United States Artillery was founded at Fort Monroe in 1892, by First Lieutenant (later General) John Wilson Ruckman and four other officers of the Artillery School.
Ruckman served as the Editor of the Journal for four years (July 1892 to January 1896) and published several articles therein afterward.
One publication by West Point notes Ruckman's “guidance” and “first-rate quality” work were obvious as the Journal “rose to high rank among the service papers of the world.”
The Journal was renamed the Coast Artillery Journal in 1922 and the Antiaircraft Journal in 1948.

Twentieth Century

Over time the armament at Fort Monroe was improved, taking advantage of new technologies.
In addition, the fort controlled several sub installations around Hampton Roads, making the area one of the most heavily defended in the United States.

The Jamestown Exposition held in 1907 at Hampton Roads, featured an extensive naval review, including the Great White Fleet. Beginning in 1917, the former exposition site at Sewell's Point became a major base of the United States Navy.
Currently, Norfolk Navy Base is the base supporting naval forces operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean.
It is the world's largest Naval Station; in fact, based on supported military population, it is the largest naval installation in the world.

Fort Monroe and Fort Wool stood guard during World War I and World War II, and successfully protected Hampton Roads and the important military and civilian resources located inland.

By World War II, Fort Monroe served as headquarters for an impressive array of coast artillery guns ranging from 3-inch rapid fire guns to 16-inch guns capable of firing a 2,000 pound projectile 25 miles.
In addition, the Army controlled submarine barriers and underwater mine fields.
But this vast array of armaments was all made obsolete by the development of the long-range bomber and the aircraft carrier after the second World War.

After the operational armament was removed, Fort Monroe received a mission that it still maintains to this day.
Since World War II, it has served as the major headquarters for training soldiers for war.
In 1973, Fort Monroe became home to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), which combines the recruitment, training and education of soldiers with the development of operational doctrine.

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Offline Arcey

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA - Update
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2008, 12:58:56 PM »
By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
© March 22, 2008
FORT MONROE

Slowly but surely, the future of this historic Army fort is taking shape.

It's just a sketch, no ink or color yet. But after more than two years of debate about what happens when the Army leaves the fort in 2011, the group tasked with answering that question has started developing a "draft re-use plan."

The 18-member Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority voted to proceed with a basic scenario Friday that would break the fort into a number of different zones, each of which would have its own rules for preservation and development. The plan postpones decisions on how to use 57 acres on the north end of the 570-acre fort.

That area is home to Wherry Housing - post-World War II construction that isn't considered historically significant. The rest is mostly open land. Some want to keep it that way; others envision housing or commercial space to generate income.

The meeting was the first for Bill Armbruster, the authority's new executive director, who will handle the day-to-day business.

Armbruster served six years as the Army's deputy assistant secretary for privatization and partnerships, and previously worked as executive director of the Fort Pickett Redevelopment Authority.

Closing a military installation involves a host of overlapping state and federal offices - the Pentagon, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Army Corps of Engineers, the State Historic Preservation Office and the Virginia Department of Natural Resources, to name just a few of the 30 - each of which has a role in the outcome.

Fort Monroe isn't an ordinary Army installation. Its undeniably historic assets include being the only moated stone fort in the United States, which for a time held captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The fort also served as a haven for escaped slaves during the Civil War, for which it earned the name "Freedom's Fortress."

But its location is also a major selling point. It has sweeping views of the Chesapeake Bay, acres of waterfront property and undeveloped land, and a marina - all of which make it attractive to developers.

At the request of U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, R-2nd District, the National Park Study is analyzing the fort's potential suitability as a national park property. That analysis is expected to be finished this spring.

Devoted fans of the fort want to protect the peninsula from almost any development, but city and state officials are wary of ruling that out for one big reason: the $15 million a year the Army spends keeping up buildings, plumbing and infrastructure.

The board heard Friday from an economic-analysis firm that worked on the transfer of San Francisco's Presidio from Army to public use.

Citizens who oppose development on Fort Monroe cite the Presidio as a model.

That California property, which the Army left in 1994, is a now hybrid property jointly operated by the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust, a public-private agency. The historic San Francisco area site leases office space and homes. It is supposed to become economically self-sufficient by 2013.

Anita Morrison told the board that her firm, Bay Area Economics, has worked on projects dealing with reuse of 25 different military properties, including the Presidio.

Morrison said the group might want to consider leasing existing fort housing to generate money even before it develops a comprehensive plan.

Wherry Housing might be good for that, Morrison said, even if it is later decided to raze the complex.

"We know we need to find some short-term income," Morrison said. "And one of the things we found on other bases is there's often revenue from leasing buildings that might need paint and patch, but could give you a stream of income that could help you in future years."

The board also heard from William Owens of Economic Research Associates, which will study various tourism scenarios and estimate economic impact.

Owens told the members that the National Park Service "brand" is a powerful one. Board members asked him to elaborate.

Focus groups have shown, Owens said, that "the National Park Service brand conveys there's a higher level of quality in attractions, it conveys the fact there's more to do... and it conveys that it's a safe place. You can go to a national park and not have to worry about your own safety."

For more information, visit www.fmfada.com.

Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com

The link:

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/03/group-outlines-basic-scenario-future-historic-fort-monroe
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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #3 on: Today at 04:48:52 AM »

Offline Wymore Wrangler

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2008, 03:31:20 PM »
Being a squid stationed in the Tidewater area for 20 years, I think it should become a National Park...  They had a heck of view of the Monitor/Merrimack fight... ;D
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Offline Zouave Officer

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2008, 03:40:36 PM »
It is hard for me to understand and comprehend just how many of these type historic places will possibly be gone by the time I have children and they grow up. What is next, start taking away key Historic pieces of property to convert into housing as was done with some of the Spanish American War Fortifications in Charleston and on Tybee Island, Georgia, where several of the old Batteries have been partly demolished and are now part of a houses. It's just ridiculous to me is all.

I for one am going to talk to the members of the Sons of Spanish American War Veterans and see what we can do to help. Is it possible for the G.A.F. to lend it's support to the efforts of these people?
- Captain, "Palmetto Riflemen" & "New York Zouaves."
- Charles Devens Jr. Camp No. 10, Sons of Union Veterans.
- Micah J. Jenkins Camp No. 164, Sons of Spanish American War Veterans.

"There’s no use dodging. You will be hit when your body and bullets are at the same place at the same time….
Captain Henry J. Reilly, Battery F, 5th U.S. Artillery, 1898.

Offline Arcey

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2008, 06:41:21 PM »
This link will take one to the defending group’s website:

http://www.createfortmonroenationalpark.org/

I don’t believe the fort itself will fall to the developers; it’s the surrounding land they want. The real estate is beautiful.
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Offline Zouave Officer

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2008, 07:32:53 PM »
At least there is that. I know however though that development started to creep in upon Fort Moultrie and Johnson here in South Carolina, and that many a developer has suggested developing the land as well as the Fort. It's ridiculous and at least I can rest easy knowing that the land for Moultrie is National Park property so that it can be prevented.

Thanks for the link, I know I had consulted the groups Page, and plan on contacting them in the next few days to talk with them. You'll have to excuse me for my interest, as I've been involved with studying various timeperiods of which the Fort has always come up in the records in one place or another, so I view it as a link in the chain so to speak.
- Captain, "Palmetto Riflemen" & "New York Zouaves."
- Charles Devens Jr. Camp No. 10, Sons of Union Veterans.
- Micah J. Jenkins Camp No. 164, Sons of Spanish American War Veterans.

"There’s no use dodging. You will be hit when your body and bullets are at the same place at the same time….
Captain Henry J. Reilly, Battery F, 5th U.S. Artillery, 1898.

Offline Steel Horse Bailey

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2008, 10:21:40 PM »
Arcey, mi amigo,  you KNOW you're not alone!  LOTS of us agree with you about this - and other - historic places!!!
"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

Offline Arcey

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2008, 09:05:21 AM »
I knew, Steel Horse, mi amigo. ZO, my pleasure.

Thanks to everyone for the interest. I live here so I may see things as this process drags along that may not be seen nationally. I will continue to keep everyone advised. At least until the mods tell me to cut it out.
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Offline Steel Horse Bailey

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2008, 09:19:56 AM »
I knew, Steel Horse, mi amigo. ZO, my pleasure.

Thanks to everyone for the interest. I live here so I may see things as this process drags along that may not be seen nationally. I will continue to keep everyone advised. At least until the mods tell me to cut it out.



I doubt THAT'LL be a problem ... this kind of information is IMPORTANT!
"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

Offline Zouave Officer

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2008, 11:26:59 AM »

I doubt THAT'LL be a problem ... this kind of information is IMPORTANT!


I agree, messages like this are just the sort of thing we need to be hearing about.
- Captain, "Palmetto Riflemen" & "New York Zouaves."
- Charles Devens Jr. Camp No. 10, Sons of Union Veterans.
- Micah J. Jenkins Camp No. 164, Sons of Spanish American War Veterans.

"There’s no use dodging. You will be hit when your body and bullets are at the same place at the same time….
Captain Henry J. Reilly, Battery F, 5th U.S. Artillery, 1898.

Offline Arcey

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2008, 10:13:13 AM »
By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
© March 26, 2008
FORT MONROE

Transferring ownership of an Army fort is a complex task, especially when the place boasts as much history – and as much valuable real estate – as Fort Monroe.

Almost three years after the federal government announced that the Army would exit Fort Monroe, state and federal officials are beginning to hammer out specifics.

They aim to sign an agreement by August that would specify how the 570-acre peninsula will be managed after 2011.

A draft of the agreement released this week is 45 pages long. Kathleen Kilpatrick, the state historic preservation officer, warned that it’s only going to get longer.

Kilpatrick is one of the state officials most closely involved in the transfer. The bulk of the property would revert to state control when the Army moves its personnel to Fort Eustis and Fort Knox, Ky.

The agreement will be revised to reflect public input and comments from more than 30 “consulting parties” involved in the process, Kilpatrick said. But she emphasized that the principles at its core are sound and won’t change.

“It’s a very strong agreement,” Kilpatrick said. “It’s very preservation-friendly, while recognizing that preservation depends on creating economic sustainability to support your culture.”

The three guiding principles are to respect the fort’s historic assets, provide public access and cover the cost of running what’s essentially a small town.

The agreement divides the fort into five zones, each with its own rules for demolishing buildings and constructing new ones. The strictest rules would apply to everything within the moat-encircled stone fort built in the 1830s. Development at the grassy, eastern end of the base would be permitted, if it maintained the same scale, density and characteristics as its surroundings.

Beyond that, the agreement states that the Army would facilitate negotiations for a long-term loan of the collections at the Casemate Museum. The museum, built inside the cavernous stone halls of the fort, preserves the cell where Confederate President Jefferson Davis spent months in captivity after his capture at the end of the Civil War.

Another facet of the fort’s history is its role in the crumbling of slavery. The Union general in charge during the Civil War decreed that escaped slaves be considered contraband of war, and granted them freedom inside the fort.

As part of the agreement, the Army would do more archaeological testing in search of the Freedmen’s Cemetery rumored to have existed on base.

H.O. Malone, a retired Army historian who heads Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park, doesn’t disagree that finding revenue to support it is crucial to the fort’s future.

But he doesn’t like how fast the agreement is coming together. He thinks the Army and state officials should focus instead on exactly who gets jurisdiction after the Army leaves.

“They’re putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
 

Kate Wiltrout, 446-2629 or kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com


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Offline Arcey

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Honorary Life Member of the Pungo Posse. Badge #1. An honor bestowed by the posse. Couldn’t be more proud or humbled.

All I did was name it ‘n get it started. The posse made it great. A debt I can never repay. Thank you, mi amigos.

Offline Pitspitr

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2008, 07:54:21 AM »
Pardon the intrusion, gentleman.

This ISN'T an intrusion, Arcey. Thanks for bringing it up!
I remain, Your Ob'd Servant,
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Offline Arcey

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2008, 02:47:34 PM »
My honor, sir.
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Offline Marshal Halloway

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #15 on: May 31, 2008, 09:18:17 AM »

Received this in the mail this AM:

Please consider posting this in your Fort Monroe discussion:
 
At Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park, we happened onto your online discussion of Fort Monroe, a national treasure that's at great risk of ruination by inappropriate development.

We're grateful for the moral support we see in your discussion, and along with one of your commenters who has already mentioned this, we invite you to visit our Web site, http://www.cfmnp.org/ .

I do want to emphasize that our plan for a _self-sustaining_ national park is not more costly to taxpayers than is the developers' plan; it is _less_ costly. In fact, it nets an enrichment profit, and not only financially, for Hampton and the region, and it requires fewer federal transition dollars. Our inspiration is the innovatively structured Presidio of San Francisco, a comparable former Army post (that is actually less important historically).

Anyone who is interested in Fort Monroe might also want to watch the masterpiece 27-minute documentary available online at http://wmstreaming.whro.org/whro/ftmonroe/ftmonroe.asf .

Thanks very much.

Steven T. Corneliussen
Vice President, Communications
Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park
Fort Monroe, Virginia
Editor & Webmaster of CAScity.com
Director - Digital Video Division - Outdoor Sportsman Group (OSG).
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Offline Arcey

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #16 on: June 08, 2008, 10:17:17 AM »
Park Service takeover of Fort Monroe carries uncertainties

By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
© June 8, 2008
NORFOLK
The federal park service falls $800 million short of the money it needs to operate 391 parks, monuments and recreational areas each year, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

Sites across the United States are feeling the pinch, the association said. At Everglades National Park in Florida, 25 scientist positions are unfilled. At the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service has trouble keeping restrooms clean. And at Alaska's Denali National Park, a 22-person road crew has been whittled to a single employee.

So why do local history buffs want to see Fort Monroe added to the park service roster when the Army leaves? And why would an overburdened agency want responsibility for 175 more historic buildings, half a million square feet of office space and Confederate President Jefferson Davis' ornately carved pipe?

A long-awaited park service study released Tuesday bolstered assertions some have made since 2005, when the government announced Fort Monroe would close: The site has unparalleled historic assets that must be preserved. The Army will leave in 2011.
But that alone is not enough to warrant the involvement of the National Park Service. It takes a majority vote in Congress or a declaration of the president to create a national park, battlefield or historic site.

Getting that designation would be just the beginning of an ongoing battle for money to maintain buildings, pay rangers' salaries and build exhibits.

Last month, about a dozen local citizens and officials working on the base's transition journeyed to two spots similar to Fort Monroe - Governors Island, in New York Harbor, and Fort Hancock, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey.
One venue served as a possible role model; the other, as a cautionary tale. Fort Hancock was home to soldiers from 1898 until 1974, when the military village was turned over to the park service.

Its buildings have stood empty ever since.

"It was a sobering experience, sloshing from vacant building to vacant building in the pouring rain. It is just in terrible shape," said Bill Armbruster, executive director of the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority.

Kathleen Kilpatrick, Virginia's historic preservation officer, saw the ghost of a future she doesn't want.

"It underscored what we all know in preservation, which is: 'Empty buildings are threatened buildings,' " said Kilpatrick, one of 18 authority members. "The budget reality is that the vast majority of the buildings at Fort Hancock stand empty - and very, very important buildings are deteriorating."

It's a different story on the 172-acre Governors Island, long occupied by the Army and then the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard left in 1996, and in 2003, the federal government sold the land to two parties, for a dollar.

The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, jointly owned by the city and state, runs 150 acres; the park service manages the 22-acre Governors Island National Monument. Armbruster said the staff of five has a budget of $1.3 million - both sobering figures.

"That allows them minimal maintenance," Armbruster said. "As they indicated to us, they compete with 390 national parks for funding, and the new kid on the block goes to the bottom of the list."

Possession of Old Point Comfort, as the peninsula that's home to Fort Monroe is known, comes with strings attached - and the park service isn't willing to bear them alone, if at all.

The study concluded that the service should postpone further consideration of involvement until the property's future is more certain.

Armbruster is confident the park service will be involved at Fort Monroe.

"It did not rule out a cooperative effort in the future, once they see how the reuse plan plays out," he said. "Whether it's an oversight role or in a supporting role, they're going to be here in some fashion."

Some people want the National Park Service involved because they don't trust local and state officials to protect Fort Monroe's legacy in the face of pressure from developers, or the desire to turn a profit.

Others see a federal affiliation as a boost to tourism potential. The park service is a powerful "brand," and an economic stimulus in its own right.

Focus groups have shown that potential visitors believe national park properties will be of higher quality and offer more educational and recreational opportunities than other attractions.

Even without that designation, one consultant estimates, Fort Monroe could draw almost a quarter of a million visitors annually with little effort.

Economics Research Associates, a consultant for the development authority, projected that up to 150,000 people would visit Fort Monroe for its cultural attractions - including the moated stone fort and a museum that already exists below the fort's low-hanging, vaulted ceilings.

Another 125,000 visitors would be drawn to the beaches along the Chesapeake Bay, and open space for camping, jogging and bicycling, ERA predicted.

Those numbers pleased Louis Guy, the treasurer of Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park.

"Two and a half years ago, I was very much concerned that we were going to blow a wonderful opportunity," Guy said. The citizens group was born out of that concern, but Guy is more optimistic these days, even if the National Park Service isn't involved.
Guy, who also serves as president of the Norfolk Historical Society, said he sees a growing "constituency" of people who view Fort Monroe as a national treasure, not just a peninsula with a lot of waterfront property.

"I think the National Park Service is a brand that would be very appealing, but I'm not going to waste any time for the next six months worrying about it," Guy said.

"Six months or a year from now, we can come back to it. There are so many other things that are still a possibility."
That's essentially the conclusion of the study. The authors pointed out that other important cultural resources are successfully managed by other public agencies and private conservation organizations.

Unless direct park service management "is identified as the clearly superior alternative," the study said, it generally recommends that other entities assume a lead management role.

The service also concluded that even if a more intensive special resource study were carried out, it would be "unlikely" to find it feasible to manage the entire 570 acres.

Even a smaller park service role - such as managing the 63 acres inside the moat - would be unlikely without a strong, financially sustainable partner to help maintain the buildings, the study said.

Kilpatrick found those blunt statements telling.

"I think they've made it clear it is unlikely," she said.

She said the trips to Governors Island and Fort Hancock, as well as the study, reinforced a theme: the importance of thinking creatively and bringing public and private organizations together in preservation.

"This isn't a sprint, it's a long-distance race," she said. "And we must be thinking about getting buildings in active use from Day One, even on a temporary basis."

The enormous potential of Fort Monroe to become a place where some people live, others work and all can play might be the same thing that makes the park service hesitant to get involved.

"We've got a huge community out here," Armbruster said. "It's like taking on a small town."

Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com

The text is a copy ‘n paste. The link provided to verify. I found the paper has chosen not to archive a couple articles I found interesting recently.

Content offered for your consumption and consideration.

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http://hamptonroads.com/2008/06/park-service-takeover-fort-monroe-carries-uncertainties
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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #17 on: July 01, 2008, 10:15:47 AM »
Plan to preserve, develop Fort Monroe wins board's OK

By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
© July 1, 2008

FORT MONROE
A 65-page document envisioning a future for Fort Monroe after the Army's departure won unanimous approval Monday from the board tasked with overseeing its transfer to civilian control.

Members of the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority voted 15-0 to endorse a plan for the 570-acre waterfront base when the Army leaves in 2011. The plan now heads to the desk of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, and eventually, to the Pentagon.
"We have essentially now accomplished our most important task, which was the core of our mission," said Preston Bryant, Virginia's secretary of natural resources and chairman of the authority.

The plan is based on five principles, including protection of the fort's historic assets, public access, creation of a large-scale park, economic sustainability, and allowing new development only within strict limits.

The historic fort, home to the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, was selected for closure three years ago. Local and state officials have debated since then how to use the property, much of which is to revert to state control.

Some local residents want the spot to become part of the National Park Service. The service concluded last month in a preliminary study that the fort's historic assets deserve protection, but stopped short of advocating its inclusion in the park system.
There is plenty of work to do before the Army leaves.

Bill Armbruster, the authority's executive director, highlighted tasks that will dominate the next two years - drafting design guidelines and preservation regulations, and developing a plan to showcase the site's history through exhibits.

The authority will expand to include a fourth employee, a project manager, whose salary will be covered by a $1.4 million grant from the Pentagon's Office of Economic Adjustment that was announced Monday.

The board also approved the authority's $1.89 million annual operating budget. About half the authority's budget is allocated by the state and half comes from the Pentagon.

Col. Anthony Reyes, the base commander, told the authority that the Army Cadet Command won't relocate to Fort Knox until 2011, a year later than anticipated. The base's biggest tenant, the Training and Doctrine Command, will move to Fort Eustis in September of that year, days before the base formally leaves Army control on Sept. 15, 2011.

Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com

http://hamptonroads.com/node/470923
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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #18 on: July 01, 2008, 05:23:14 PM »
Hopefully, all will go well and as it should.
"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

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Re: Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
« Reply #19 on: August 19, 2008, 05:46:46 PM »
Fresh today:

By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
© August 19, 2008
Wednesday, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will tour Fort Monroe, the military base the Army will vacate in 2011. Today, he signed a reuse plan that serves as a blueprint for what happens when the Army leaves the historic property in Hampton along the Chesapeake Bay.

Kaine’s signature means the reuse plan, developed over the past 18 months by the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority, now goes to the Department of Defense for approval.

The plans call for protecting the historic character of the 570-acre post, which the Army began using in 1819, by keeping historic structures continually occupied, restricting development within the moated stone fortress, and ensuring new construction outside the fortress follows strict architectural and design guidelines.

The plan also emphasizes the importance of generating revenue to offset the cost of caring for infrastructure and providing basic services.

In a statement, Kaine said the plan “ensures this spectacular and historic property will be enjoyed by many generations to come.”

Fort Monroe was slated for closure in 2005 as part of the federal base realignment and closure process. Most personnel are being reassigned to nearby Fort Eustis and Fort Knox, Ky.

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/gov-kaine-signs-reuse-plan-fort-monroe-after-its-vacated
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