Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Jefferson Davis Memorial Arch
Fort Monroe
The Jefferson Davis Memorial Arch was erected in 1956 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, with the permission of the US Army, to commemorate the imprisonment of Confederate President Jefferson Davis at Fort Monroe. The arch was rededicated in 1986.
After the Civil War, Jefferson Davis stood as the most vocal proponent of the claim the war had been a constitutional struggle, not a fight over the future of slavery in the United States. His claim was part of the Lost Cause crusade, in which white southerners sought to elevate secession, the Confederacy it created, and the war it waged into a high-minded crusade.
Erected by Fort Monroe Authority; National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Law Enforcement • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.
Location. 37° 0.14′ N, 76° 18.413′ W. Marker is unreadable. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Fort Monroe. It can be reached from the intersection of Bernard Road and Ruckman Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map.
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 location: An Enduring Legacy? (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Point Comfort Light (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); "Ruth Window" (about 400 feet away); The Movement of a Legacy (about 400 feet away); The Cultural Connections (about 500 feet away); The Sculpture (about 500 feet away); Battery Irwin (about 500 feet away); Fort Monroe History (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in
Other markers no longer nearby. Engineer Wharf (was about 400 feet away but has been confirmed missing); 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).
Also see . . . Letters removed from Jefferson Davis arch at Fort Monroe. August 2, 2019 article from the Newport News Daily Press about the removal of Jefferson Davis' name from the arch. (Submitted on February 8, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 6, 2021
3. The Archway
Jefferson Davis' name has been removed.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, April 21, 2026
4. Jefferson Davis Memorial Arch Marker
Marker is very poor condition as of 2026.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, July 23, 2013
5. Jefferson Davis Memorial Arch
Before the Confederate president's name was removed.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 890 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 8, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4, 5. submitted on May 7, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.
