Fort Monroe Historic Context

Fort Monroe historic context Fort Monroe is a diverse collection of buildings, structures, and landscapes rich in military and American history. The concentration of historic resources is along Ingalls Road, Fenwick Road, and within the walled fort, and those areas demand careful attention. 1B FORT MONROE HISTORIC PRESERVATION MANUAL AND DESIGN STANDARDS HISTORIC CONTEXT 1B.1 HISTORIC CONTEXT Fort Monroe is a unique site in Virginia in terms of history and the largest of the Third System forts; it is built of stone, whereas geography . It is located in Hampton, Va ,. on Old Point Comfort the others are brick masonry; and it has a moat . The Stone Fort where the Hampton Roads Harbor and Chesapeake Bay meet . is an exceptional example of engineering and design . Old Point Comfort has been the site of fortifications since colonial times . The present Stone Fort was constructed as part Construction began on the Stone Fort in 1819 and continued until of the Third System of coastal fortifications . The Third System it was declared complete in 1836 . As soon as construction began, forts were designed to be state-of-the-art for siege warfare in the the fort was home to the Artillery Corps . The evolution of the early 1800s, and all of the forts were designed to be substantial Artillery Corps into the Field Artillery School and Coastal Artillery masonry structures . Fort Monroe, however, is unique in that it is School defined the development of Fort Monroe beyond the original stone walls . Structures to aid the Army’s mission were Fort Monroe, Ca . 1861 1B.2 HISTORIC CONTEXT built, renovated, or torn down inside and outside the fort walls of construction in 1819 until 1961 . Culturally, the Civil War is with every major Army building campaign . Though only a few of the fort’s most significant period . The fort remained occupied the original permanent buildings remain, there is a diverse and by Union Forces and was never attacked by the Confederates . extensive inventory that portrays Fort Monroe’s military history . It served as the staging area for attacks along the Confederate seaboard and against Richmond, Va . It was during this period The Period of Significance for Fort Monroe, defined as the length that the fort earned the name “Freedom Fortress ”. Thousands of of time when a property was associated with important events, slaves came to Fort Monroe seeking refuge . When they arrived at activities, or persons; or attained the characteristics which Fort Monroe, they were declared contraband, the spoils of war, by qualify it as a National Historic Landmark, is from the beginning the commanding officer General Benjamin Butler . Fort Monroe, Ca . 2005 FORT MONROE HISTORIC PRESERVATION MANUAL AND DESIGN STANDARDS HISTORIC CONTEXT 1B.3 HISTORIC CONTEXT PERIODS OF DEVELOPMENT Fort Monroe has continually evolved over the past 190-plus years since the Stone Fort was begun . Construction was not only limited to the fortification wall, there were also quarters, workplaces and support buildings built both inside and outside the walls . Growth spurts on the site naturally coincide with nationwide Army building campaigns that followed almost every major war effort . The presence of the Artillery Corps also influenced development . Training facilities specific to the Corps and housing for students and instruc- tors are a significant portion of the historic fabric . Many buildings are standard Quartermaster Corps designed offices and housing units, but there are several uncommon structures, such as the Endicott-era batteries that are a part of the inventory because Fort Monroe is a coastal fortification . Parade Ground In 1987, the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) undertook a com- prehensive survey of buildings at Fort Monroe constructed before the 1960 landmark designation . The HABS/HAER documentation, The Architectural Heritage of Fort Monroe: Inventory and Documentation of Historic Structures Undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey, divided the development of Fort Monroe into six distinct historic periods: 1819 - 1860 The Construction Period 1861 - 1865 The Civil War 1866 - 1899 Post Civil War Expansion 1900 - 1929 Early Twentieth Century Development 1930 - 1945 Depression/WWII Development North Gate 1946 - 1987 Post WWII Development These historic periods begin at the construction of the fort and do not include prehistoric periods defined by the SHPO . The Construction Period: Fort Monroe was the largest fort constructed under the Third System and the fort and buildings constructed during this time are included in this period . The Artillery Corps was established early on at Fort Monroe, thus setting the stage for future development of the post as a training installation . Except for Building 27, the Old Arsenal, all the structures from this period are within the moat . The Civil War: Although this is an extremely significant period in the fort’s history, no structures built during this period remain . Most of the construc- Postern Gate tion during this time was temporary for the war effort and was taken down or replaced in the Army’s building campaign in the 1870s . 1B.4 HISTORIC CONTEXT Post Civil War Expansion: After the Civil War, the Artillery Corps was re- established at Fort Monroe . The construction during this period is largely due to a nationwide Army building campaign for renovation and construction . The post Headquarters, the Old Post Office (Building 83), the frame houses inside and outside the moat, and Building 5 are from this period . Early Twentieth Century Development: During this era, the artillery corps, which encompassed both field and coastal artillery, became separate units . The Coastal Artillery School was located at Fort Monroe . The construction of the Coastal Artillery School Complex (the current-day Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) complex) and much of the housing on Fort Monroe is from this period . Construction of the Endicott Batteries was also completed Building 83 – The Old Post Office during this period . Depression/WWII Development: Fort Monroe was severely damaged during the hurricanes of 1933 . Funding through the Public Works Administration helped rehabilitate the Fort and made possible other major projects including the seawall, the Coastal Artillery School housing, the completion of Randolph Hall and many of the industrial shop buildings north of Patch Road . This period saw a major trend of development to the north on Ingalls Road . Post WWII Development: As coastal artillery became obsolete, and the Coastal Artillery School was relocated to California, Fort Monroe became the headquarters for the Army Ground Forces and eventually the U .S . Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), continuing the installation’s long history as a training post . Until Hurricane Isabel in 2003, very little was constructed at Fort Monroe after WWII . The hurricane necessitated that many temporary buildings Coastal Artillery School Housing built during WWII, and damaged by the storm, be demolished and replaced . The following map graphically depicts the periods of development as described above. It gives a very clear picture of how the fort developed beyond the original stone walls. Building 138 – Coastal Artillery School Complex FORT MONROE HISTORIC PRESERVATION MANUAL AND DESIGN STANDARDS HISTORIC CONTEXT 1B.5 HISTORIC CONTEXT H I J K 22 1830-1860 ANTEBELLUM PERIOD CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES 11 1865-1914 RECONSTRUCTION AND GROWTH 21 CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES 1917-1945 WORLD WAR I TO WORLD WAR II CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES 20 1941-PRESENT NEW DOMINION 10 19 14 18 14 9 13 17 13 12 16 12 8 11 15 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 B C D E F G H I J 0’ 400’ 1200’ 2000’ 1B.6 .

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