Fort Name: Fort Monroe - Hampton Roads Harbor Defenses

Current Site Name: Fort Monroe

Dates of Visits: 2006

Site Use: US Army, HQ Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), other smaller Army & Navy commands, automated Coast Guard lighthouse.

Is the site open to the public? Yes, depending on Homeland Security Defense conditions. Dates and Hours of Operation: daylight hours for non-military; Casemate Museum 10:30am-4:30pm daily

What type of programs are offered at the site?
Living History: None
Tours: Self-Guided beginning at the Casemate Museum.
Museum Shop: yes

Restoration Projects: No current plans on tactical structures. Other projects include rebuilding seawall and installing rip-raps for improved hurricane protection.

Are there events that the Site would like to have advertised in the CDSG Newsletter? No

What is the overall condition of the Site: Fair to Good

What is the condition of the Individual Elements?
BATTERIES:
Battery Irwin: excellent (3-inch guns recently restored)
Battery Parrott: good (90mm gun recently restored - however, floor inside the shield has rusted away)
Battery DeRussy: fair
Battery Church: fair
Battery Anderson-Ruggles: fair (Ruggles BC station in ruins, wall of pit 4 unstable, generator room in ruins)
Battery Gatewood: remains of 3 gun emplacements can been seen in the grass
Experimental Battery in bastion of stone fort: good
Mine control station foundations located in and above Exp. battery.

OTHER:
Original stone fort: excellent (at various locations along the parapet are two magazines, and two base-end tower foundations).
Old Arsenal: good
Old Coast Artillery School: excellent
Old Coast Artillery Board: excellent
HECP: good
Searchlight tower foundations located on either side of HECP.
HDCP: exterior excellent, interior unknown
Wooden Mine Casemate (behind HECP): excellent (interior no longer original)
Concrete Mine Casemate: exterior good - interior unknown
Old Point Comfort Lighthouse: excellent
Old mine wharf area in fair condition but may not survive the reuse planning after 2011 closure.
Many other historical sites in excellent condition
All fire control towers/base end stations at Ft Monroe and elsewhere in Hampton no longer exist.

What is the protective status of the Site?
National Park or Register: National Historic District, stone fort and lighthouse are Historic Landmarks.
State or Local Historic Site: No


Current Site Owner: U.S. Army until 2011 (due to BRAC)
Current Site Supervisor: Col. Evans, Commanding Officer
Other Contacts at the Site: Paul Morando, Museum Director (paul.morando@us.army.mil)
Mailing Address: Casemate Museum
PO Box 51341
Fort Monroe, VA 23651
Phone: (757) 788-3885/3391
Public Affairs Office: (757) 788-3205
Internet: http://www.monroe.army.mil/monroe/sites/local/Default.aspx

Is the Site or a responsible individual at the site a CDSG member? Yes - Casemate Museum is an organizational member.

What information can the CDSG provide to the management of the site? Interpretation of Fort Monroe’s history is already provided, as are information displays at the batteries. However, some of the displays could be more informative.

Is there anyone at the Site that would submit material for the CDSG Journal? Members of the Casemate Museum.

Any Special Situations at the Site: (Damage, Imminent Destruction, Etc.)
Batteries Anderson-Ruggles have been fenced off for public safety - portions of the battery are deteriorating. Seawall to be completely rebuilt, and rip raps added along the shoreline. The base will close in 2011 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Environmental cleanup in progress. Ongoing debate to the future status of the facility. Likely scenario has the land reverting back to the state with the city of Hampton planning its reuse.

If individual batteries, base-end stations, buildings, etc. are in some way significant, please indicate: Experimental Battery is incorrectly labeled Battery Gatewood.

Report submitted by Phil Payette, Updated July 2007
http://www.geocities.com/hrforts/harbor.htm