Historical Points of Interest

Historical Points of Interest. . The Hampton Roads area has seen its share of history - much of it played out in the waters before you. In 1775, Lord Dunmore, Virginia's last Royal Governor, was driven from Williamsburg by American colonists and established a temporary base across the Elizabeth River at what is now Hospital Point. On New Years Day 1776, the British bombarded Norfolk, burning its wharves and warehouses., Fort Norfolk, to the south, is the last remaining of 19 harbor-front forts authorized in 1794 by President George Washington. The fort helped protect Norfolk during the War of 18 12, though its cannon fired no shots. In 1862, Confederate forces seized the fort and used its magazine to supply the CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimac) during its battle with the USS Monitor. The historic battle could be seen from the fort's ramparts., Maritime commerce has been the region's mainstay since the arrival of the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery in 1607. In the early 1880s, loading piers were built at Pinners Point across the Elizabeth River. The site served as a rail and port facility until 1964 when a fierce blaze virtually demolished the site, paving the way for the construction of a modern containerized cargo terminal. Today, Portsmouth Marine Terminal is an integral part of the Port of Virginia., (captions) , Lithograph of Hospital Point circa 1851 and the view of Nortolk across the Elizabeth River. Photo courtesy of The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, VA. , Portsmouth Marine Terminal circa 1971. , "Terrific Engagement Between the ‘Monitor' 2 Guns and 'Merrimac' 10 Guns, in Hampton Roads, March 9th 1862. The First Fight Between Iron Ships of War.”