Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
An Enduring Legacy?
Fort Monroe
This memorial to Jefferson Davis, for some, conjures up a sense of heritage and history. For others, it is a symbol of hate and highlights the intent to exclude African Americans from public life and civil liberties. This memorial was placed here during the modern civil rights movement in the 1950s, a time which triggered a wave of Confederate monuments and the renaming of public buildings and spaces.
Some Virginia cities and counties closed their schools in "massive resistance" to the Supreme Court's invalidation of segregation, arguing that it was the states' right to determine relations between black and white people.
The new memorials, such as the arch, celebrated the heroes of the Confederacy as defenders of an unfairly oppressed region, in opposition to this federal ruling.
Erected by Fort Monroe Authority; National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Forts and Castles • War, US Civil.
Location. 37° 0.156′ N, 76° 18.428′ W. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Fort Monroe. It is at the intersection of Bernard Road and Ruckman Road,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Peninsula and in Coastal Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Jefferson Davis Memorial Arch (within shouting distance of this marker); "Ruth Window" (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Lincoln Gun (about 400 feet away); Old Point Comfort Light (about 400 feet away); Omaha Beach Memorial Tree (about 500 feet away); The Movement of a Legacy (about 500 feet away); Retreat / Courtesies (about 500 feet away); The Cultural Connections (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.
Other markers no longer nearby. Lantaka (was about 500 feet away but has been permanently removed); Spanish 1-½-Pounder (was about 500 feet away but has been permanently removed); 12-Pounder Howitzer (was about 500 feet away but has been permanently removed); Engineer Wharf (was about 500 feet away but has been confirmed missing); 3 Inch Ordnance Rifle (was about 500 feet away but has been permanently removed); Fort Monroe Seawall History (was about 500 feet away but has been confirmed missing); a different marker also named Fort Monroe Seawall History (was about 500 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 6, 2021
2. An Enduring Legacy? Marker
The arch is in the background with Jefferson Davis' name removed.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, July 23, 2013
3. An Enduring Legacy? Marker
The arch in 2013
Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 357 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 8, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on May 7, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.
