Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR S T ATE : (Dec. 1968) Vir inia COUN T Y : NATWNAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Ham ton in cit. INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER DATE (Type all entries - complete applicable sections)

COMMON: Fort Wool AN DIOR HISTORIC: Fost Calh_oun

s~REET •NDNuMsER: Located on an island one mile south of at the entrance to Ham ton Roads between and . CITY OR TOWN:

STA TE

CATEGORY I ACCESSIBLE OWNERSHIP STATUS (Check One) I TO THE PUBLIC z Dt~t,;c• lli'.l Bui I ding 0 Pub.lie rzJ Public Acquis1tton: Occu ~icd C Yes: 0 Sito D Stru.cture 0 Private D In Process D Unoceupied D Restrietad 0 Both Being Considored C: Preservatio" work Unrestricted 0 Object D D in progre•s ~ N o: KJ

<'R E:SEN T us E (Chock One or More es Appropr/ste) Agricultural D Government P ark Tra nsporta lion D Comments Qg To be develo ed Commcrc io I D ll\dustrial Private ~esidence Other (Spcci(y) ~ Educational D Military Re lig1ous Vacant E"tcrto,nment 0 Museum z OWNERS NAME: Commonwealth of UJ ST~EET ANO NUMBER: UJ

CIIV OR TOWN: ST AT t: : COD E -j"',. 45 --< /Tl

I-'· Clerk's Office p, STRc.ET ANO NUMBER:

C I TY OR TOWN, S 'TAT E. Ham ton Vir inia 45 A PPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF 1'.l()MI NA.TEO PROP ER TY : 6; ~tPRE~t;NTAilON IN E)(ISTING SURVEYS > ·.··,· T ITL E OF S Ui;tV EY: Vir inia Historic Landmarks Commission Report # 114-1 m DA T E OF SUR VEY : Stole Q:g County D Local O z DEPOSITORY FO R S URVEY RECOR DS: --< -n :n 0 -< ;u Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission z STR EE T ANO NUMBER· C: z -0 'l: V, m Room 1116 Ninth Street State Office Buildin m C :n V, C I TY OR: T OWN : S T ATE : C OD E m 0 Richmond, Virginia 0 z 45 ?> r --< /1l -<

------·------·-- --- ···- _____., ______--.------',.. --·-- - - ·· . ---- ··------. .SCRIP.Ti ON . ..: .. ...:·.-.-- .· .· :·_· ·.··• : .· ..... ·•. - .. . . > CONDITION (Check _One) Excellent D Good D Foir IEJ Deteriorated D Ruins D Uncn,:posed D (Check One) (Che,ck One) INTEGRITY Altered 0 Unaltered 0 I Moved D Original Sito 19 OE:SCR1B£ THE PRESENT ANO OFHGINA.L (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Fort Wool is located on a fifteen acre island made of large granite blocks The western end of the fort still retains its original ramparts, consistin1 o~ a close packed semi-circle of gun positions. Batterys dating from the Civil War period still remain on the southwest end of the island; however, the remainder of the southern wall has been demolished, leaving an open side. Granite blocks on the southern side were pushed into the water to form a rough causeway that links the island with the .southern ventilation entrance of the Tunnel. The rectangular open space within the fort's walls was originally the parade ground. The two towers at either end of the island date from World War I, while the concret:e tower in the center dates from World War II.

On the northern side, facing Fort Monroe, were placed the bulk of the guns in the nineteenth ce.ntury, however the original battery positions in this wall have been obscured by later works. Also, the fittings and VI emplacements along this side have been altered to hold newer types of guns rn Most of the original passages in the massive walls remain as do the powder m and storage rooms, shelters for the gun crews, and lower tier gun position:. On the eastern end of the island a World War II concrete command post with bunker has been constructed behind the redoubts. z VI At present, the fort lies abandoned, but even in its decaying state it has -I {( become an exceedingly romantic ruin. ;:o C

.: r . I, . , n ...... ·. i, . -I . • , ,. l · 1 I .. I .I 0 I: :.;,. r r, ·- : ! .· \ ·- . :z: VI rl,·s1CNlFICANCE .- .. • ... ·>•:• . :-'. .)\. .'\ ·::··.: PERIOD (Cft.,cl<-·-----~---'----'---'"-----c.._--.:...---'--'------'------One or /lfota "" A.pp,oprlate) P,e-Co!umbiar, 0 16th Cenlury O 18th Ce~lury D 20th C,:,nlury 0 15th Century O l7tl, Cenl\Jry 0 19th C~ntvry [i"ll

SPECI Fl C OA.TE(St ({{ A.pplir::abla and Krwwn)

A.REAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check Om, or More"~ A_j:,p,oprlate) Aber iginal Edti:~ifon ·' : d I ' .•• , Po!ilfcof '. I G' ,.·; •-u;biin Plonning" t, --o· Prehisio,ic O Engineering O Religion/Phi- 0th.,, (Specify) 8S Hislotic O Industry D "' losophy D History Agri"ulture O inven!ion O Science 0 Art e3 Londs cop• Scul plure D Commerce .0 Archifc.:ture D So.iol/Human- Communicotions 0 literalure D itarion D Conservation 0 Military ~ Theater D Music 0 Transportation D

STATE:MENT OF SIGNIFICANCE (I,,e/i,de Per&Otl&.i/,es, Date", E,-enta, Etc.) Fort Wool, or Fort Calhoun as it was known until the Civil War, was begun in 1819 as part of the elaborate coastal plan

V') {which included Fort Monroe) of George Graham, Secretary of War under James Madison. The Virginia General Assembly of 1821 resolved that the z island's title would be turned over to the United States Government as 0 long as it was needed for national defense, reverting to the Commonwealtl

of Virginia when no longer needed. = I- u Work on the fortification continued at a slow rate until the outbreak

~ of the Civil War. Robert E. Lee actually supervised part of the construction at one time. By the outbreak of the war the lower tier had ~.t 0: fifty-two ready for guns, and 187 men stationed there. In I- 1862 the name of the fort was changed from Fort Calhoun to Fort Wool V') in honor of Major General John Wool, Commandant of the at :z: Hampton Roads. It was from Fort Wool that President watched the embarkation of the Union troops to seize Norfolk. From - 1886 until the outbreak of World War I the fort was not garrisoned, but UJ was reactivated during both World Wars as part of the harbor defense w system. The fort was abandoned by 1953 and was turned back to the . V, Conunonwealth in 1967 •

The fort at present is falling into a state·of ruins, but in so doing it is acquiring a very romantic atmosphere. This atmosphere~ coupled with the wide variety of military architecture found there, make it a prime site for potential visitors. Its long history and beautiful location in the mouth of one of the world's busiest harbors also contribtte to making it a significant landmark. .·. ,JOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL RtFERENCES . . .·.· .. ·.

Bowman, Albert, SP4, "Hampton Roads' Forgotten Fort," Casement Chronicle, May 12, 1967, Fort Monroe, Va. Analysis of Existing Facilities, Fort Wool, Virginia, 1945 (from the Norfolk District, Corps of Engineers). Feild, Robert, and Doug Michels, Fort Wool, 1968.

I .. j____:·'"=. 10. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA~~------,-~-----,-! . · . . . · ·.. · ·. .,. LA-TITUOE,.AND LONGITUQE COOROINATt:::S Io LATLTUDE 0 ANO LONGITUDE COOROINATE.S o_~!"I_N_l~G,A_RE~!ANVL:E,L9c.~T1NY Tt-lt":'. P~OPERi:'i'... R OEFl~IN'? TOH: LCE~~\EH:~o~~; ~~//'ROPERTV }-~·------1-~~------+ CORNF.R LATITUDE LONGITUDE LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW 3& 0 S'l . I'/ . rllo O IS . IO " 0 • • ,-, 0 36 59 12 NE 3(,, 0 ,) 1 ' i

STATE: COOE COUNTY: COOE .· '

. -._-:. :,- ,-' " ----l C: NAME ANO "f11'LE: () ____Staff,.,_ __Virginia::_:cc___:. ___ Historic__;__:__.:._.,;__ Landmarks___ _::_:.cc_;;_;__c.;,___:___;;~c__c___c..c.._.,c___:.__:..,-c.,.='~~~~=~=~; Commission, James W. Moodv. Jr •• Director OR GANI 7.ATION. IOATE -I ------Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission '"· •·.' '' ''· lMav 7, ···1'969 STREET AND NUMBER: 0 Room 1116, Ninth Street State Office Building______-.---~ :z: CITY OR TOWN: ST.ATE CODE V> Richmond Virginia ,. s 12. FATE; LIAISON OFFIC.ER CERtlF'iCAi'tQ.ii f !' . • NATIONAL REGISTERVE:RIFICATION ·...

.:_ .)\. !1' .. : ,:;. As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na- II I herebv certify that this property is included in the tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law Ii i: Notiona 1 Register. 89·665), I hereby nominate this propt.·rty for inclusion Ii in the National Rc[tister and certify that it has bee·n 11 evaluated according to the criteria an

Date Jt,ne 2. 1969 II / s / lo8 II Date ---~;,~1r~··~'· 1_· -·')_'_:, _·,_('~· ~~. c_·, --- • . . Old Po•ntl!J ··. 0 \ -··::..-Com!ort,,J'.,/1 / ' / __.,..,.. ~ _/ -.--6! '• /30 ·-~ l' · '• •.. ! \ :' \ 38 .\ :' CABLE ! _AREA \ ., • ' ': 6' :

12

1 :24000) u.s.G.s.Norfolk North7,t, quavdran(gle (Scale: ' a, 1955)

Fort Wool latitude Longitude NW 3Ei0 59' 14" 76° 18' 10" NE 360 59' 14" 76° 18' OO" SE 360 59 I 10" 760 18' 00" /2 SW 360 59 I 10" 76° 18' 10"

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