Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Cottages of Cape Henry at Fort Story
The Army established a garrison at Cape Henry in 1914. Resort development continued alongside the Army fort throughout the 1930s. In 1941, the Army closed the area to civilian occupation, razed nearly 300 cottages, and acquired the remaining cottages for military use. The Cape Henry cottages continued to be used by military members and their families as vacation homes until 2018. They will be demolished, and these signs are intended to help mitigate their loss.
The casino, the train station, several hotels, and St. Theresa's Chapel, built in 1924 to serve Catholics summering at the resort, were located near the oceanfront; the rental cottages surrounded this development on either side.
The cottages that remained after the closure of the Cape Henry resort community reflect the local, common bungalow cottage style consisting of one-story or one-and-a half story houses, with full or partial front porches, and open floor plans most have front or side gabled roofs. On several cottages, full-length front porches are enclosed under the main, side-gabled roof with a break in slope and shed dormers. Front-gabled cottages
this page online
Erected 2022.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Forts and Castles • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 36° 55.518′ N, 76° 0.455′ W. Marker is in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is in Fort Story. It is on Antic Avenue west of Attu Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 583 Sicily Rd, Virginia Beach VA 23459, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads, specifically in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. 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,
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 13, 2025
2. Markers at the entrance to the Cape Henry Lighthouse
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Expanding Military Operations at Fort Story (here, next to this marker); "A picturesque spot which impresses all who see it" (here, next to this marker); The Guns of Fort Story / Fort Story Rises from the Dunes (a few steps from this marker); Movement and Display of the USS Iowa Battleship Barrel at Cape Henry/Fort Story (a few steps from this marker); The Emerging Community / Defending the Chesapeake Bay (a few steps from this marker); Into the 21st Century / The Amphibians Arrive (a few steps from this marker); WW2 16-inch/50 Coast Defense Batteries at Fort Story (a few steps from this marker); 16-inch/50 Caliber Gun Mark VII - Mod No. 270L (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Virginia Beach.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 255 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 21, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
