On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling east.
Bronze field piece Made for Confederates in 1862 by Tredegar Foundry, Richmond Smoothbore Diameter of bore 4.62 inches Overall length 58.6 inches Range 1072 yards (0.5 miles) — — Map (db m42457) HM
On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling east.
Bronze field gun Made in 1862 for Union Forces by Ames Mfg. Company Chicopee, Massachusetts Diameter of Bore 4.125 inches Overall Length 73 inches Weight 912 pounds — — Map (db m42463) HM
On Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the right when traveling north.
Approximately 200 miles long, with a surface area of 4,479 square miles, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States—and the third largest in the world. It is known for its beauty as well as its bounty, and supports more . . . — — Map (db m166615) HM
On Bernard Road at Ruckman Road, on the right when traveling east on Bernard Road.
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 . . . — — Map (db m166582) HM
On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling east.
Bronze field piece purchased by Confederates abroad Originally rifled; Converted to smoothbore Diameter of bore 3.74 inches Overall length 62 inches Made in Vienna in 1857 — — Map (db m42464) HM
On Fenwick Road just west of Engineer lane, on the right when traveling west.
The Battery was a light, rapid-fire battery with four 3-inch, 15-pounder guns was designed to defend Fort Monroe's controlled mine fields and against fast moving torpedo boats. The Battery was built from early spring 1900 to 1901; the guns were . . . — — Map (db m166642) HM
On Fenwick Road just west of Engineer lane, on the right when traveling west.
Battery Parrott was a relatively-modern Endicott emplacement designed to defend Hampton Roads from attacking battleships. The Battery was constructed between 1902 and 1904, while its guns were mounted in 1905. The Battery was transferred to the . . . — — Map (db m166641) HM
On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling east.
In this casemate Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, was confined, May 22-October 2, 1865. As his health suffered in the casemate, he was removed to Carroll Hall in the fortress, where he remained from October, 1865, until May, . . . — — Map (db m182924) HM
On Ingalls Road, 0.1 miles north of Reeder Circle, on the right when traveling north.
The "Contraband" Hospital at Fort Monroe was constructed in 1863 on Ingalls Road to treat the wounded and sick former enslaved men, women and children. Harriet Tubman would serve here as a nurse and cook for several months. — — Map (db m166645) HM
On Ingalls Road just north of Patch Road, on the right when traveling north.
Following the "Contraband Decision" of 1861, tens of thousands of enslaved men, women, and children fled to Fort Monroe seeking freedom leading to the creation of several "contraband" camps in the surrounding area.
The corner of Ingalls and . . . — — Map (db m166644) HM
On Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the right when traveling north.
In the summer of 2018, archaeologists excavated the area around this building. They uncovered masonry foundations and other structural elements of the 19th-century Head Engineer Quarters as well as a connected outbuilding.
The quarters were . . . — — Map (db m166635) HM
On Fenwick Road east of Engineer Lane, on the right when traveling east.
Built by the Corps of Engineers about 1818, this was for many years a very important wharf. Jefferson Davis was landed here as a prisoner on May 22, 1865. — — Map (db m103842) HM
On Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the left when traveling south.
During the War of 1812, British soldiers burned Hampton and occupied the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse. The British Navy sailed unopposed all the way up the Chesapeake Bay to Fort McHenry in Baltimore, burning Washington, DC, along the way. After . . . — — Map (db m166593) HM
On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling east.
Not a weapon; Used for testing powder Iron smoothbore Diameter of bore 5.655 inches Cast with bed-piece to give an elevation of 45 degrees Made in 1858 Initials of inspector on muzzle Peter V. Hagner — — Map (db m42468) HM
On Ruckman Road at Ingalls Road, on the left when traveling east on Ruckman Road.
On 23 May 1861 three enslaved men, Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory, and James Townsend, sought freedom at Fort Monroe. A Virginia officer demanded their return, citing the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Union Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler refused, stating . . . — — Map (db m184089) HM
On Fenwick Road, 0.2 miles east of Ingalls Road. Reported permanently removed.
The first documented Africans in Virginia arrived in August 1619 when a Dutch man-of-war landed here at Point Comfort. The Dutch captured the “twenty and odd” Africans from the Spanish, who had enslaved them, and traded them to the . . . — — Map (db m73826) HM
The first documented Africans in Virginia arrived here in Aug. 1619 on the White Lion, an English privateer based in the Netherlands. Colonial officials traded food for these “20 and odd” Africans, who had been captured from a Portuguese . . . — — Map (db m129864) HM
On Ingalls Road, 0.1 miles south of Ruckman Road, on the right when traveling south.
Near here Captain John Ratcliffe built Fort Algernourne, 1609. In 1614, it was a stockade containing fifty people and seven cannon. In 1632, the fort was rebuilt. It was discontinued after 1667. In 1727, a new fort, Fort George, was ordered built . . . — — Map (db m73818) HM
On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling south. Reported damaged.
Fort Monroe is the largest stone fortification ever built in the United States. Construction began in 1819 and continued for 15 years. Second Lt. Robert E. Lee served as an engineer at Fort Monroe from 1831 to 1834. During the Civil War, Fort . . . — — Map (db m10357) HM
On Bernard Road at 5 Northgate Road, on the left when traveling north on Bernard Road.
In this house President Abraham Lincoln stayed during his visit of May 6-11, 1862. It was here that President Lincoln, General Wool and Commodore Goldborough planned the attack on Norfolk, Virginia. — — Map (db m138062) HM
On Bernard Road, 0.1 miles east of Mathews Lane, on the right when traveling east.
Explore Fort Monroe
400+ Years of History
For over 400 years the point of land known as Old Point Comfort, which now includes Fort Monroe has served as a strategic site at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. From its use by Virginia . . . — — Map (db m166579) HM
On Bernard Road just south of Mathews Lane, on the right when traveling south.
Fort Monroe is the largest stone fortification ever built in the United States. Construction began in 1819 and continued for 15 years. Second Lt. Robert E. Lee served as an engineer at Fort Monroe from 1831 to 1834.
During the Civil War, Fort . . . — — Map (db m166589) HM
On Ingalls Road (U.S. 258) at Main Gate, on the left when traveling south on Ingalls Road.
The fort was begun in 1819 and named for President James Monroe. It remained in possession of the Union forces, 1861-65, and from it as a base McClellan began the Peninsular Campaign, 1862. Jefferson Davis was imprisoned here, 1865-67. — — Map (db m10319) HM
On Ingalls Road at Patch Road, on the left when traveling south on Ingalls Road.
Building 27 was constructed about 1860. During the Civil War, and for a number of years after, it was occupied by the machine shop of the Fort Monroe Arsenal. This arsenal specialized in the manufacture of seacoast gun carriages. — — Map (db m103841) HM
On Fenwick Road, on the left when traveling south.
Fort Monroe Concrete Seawall
Eastern Terminus
The place where you are standing marks the terminus of a seawall constructed along the southern shores of Old Point Comfort at various periods between 1895 to the mid-twentieth century. This seawall . . . — — Map (db m102144) HM
On Fenwick Road east of Engineer Lane, on the right when traveling east.
For Your Information
Safety is our top priority at Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe History
Fort Monroe, decommissioned in 2011, provided coastal defense to the Chesapeake Bay and served as an artillery school for the Army from the early . . . — — Map (db m103898) HM
On Fenwick Road north of Engineer Lane, on the right when traveling north.
Fort Monroe, decommissioned in 2011, provided coastal defense to the Chesapeake Bay and served as an artillery school for the Army from the early 1800s through the end of World War ll. During that time, the Army fired unknown numbers of cannonballs, . . . — — Map (db m103899) HM
On Fenwick Road east of Engineer Lane, on the right when traveling east.
Strategic Location
Fort Monroe occupies a peninsula in the shape of the letter "J" or a “fishhook" surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay, Hampton Roads, and Mill Creek. The southern tip of the peninsula is known as Old Point Comfort . . . — — Map (db m103859) HM
On Fenwick Road east of Engineer Lane, on the right when traveling east.
The first concrete seawall, constructed at Fort Monroe between March and August of 1895, was designed to provide better protection against coastal flooding and erosion. This concrete wall extended 664 feet from the eastern edge of . . . — — Map (db m103860) HM
On Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the left when traveling south.
In 1619, Virginia Colony Secretary John Rolfe stated that "20, and odd Negroes" had been traded for supplies.
In 1861, at the start of the American Civil War, three enslaved men sought refuge at Fort Monroe. The federal commander, Major . . . — — Map (db m166614) HM
Fort Monroe was the site of Major General Benjamin F. Butler’s decision in 1861 to accept escaping slaves as “contraband of war.” Thousands of former slaves who cast off their bondage and sought sanctuary here called this “The . . . — — Map (db m10366) HM
On Fenwick Road near Stillwell Drive, on the right when traveling north.
Harbor defense regiments were formed in the Coast Artillery Corps from SEP companies in 1924. The distinctive insignia of these regiments and station of the regimental headquarters in 1939 are shown on the signs of this battery. The regiments were . . . — — Map (db m103843) HM
On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling east.
Honoring
Dr. John J. Craven
of the United States Army
Whose Humanity, Intelligent Companionship and
Professional Skill Lightened The Monotony,
The Loneliness and the Physical Suffering of
Jefferson Davis
President of The Former . . . — — Map (db m102138) WM
Near Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the right when traveling north.
Very big… Fort Monroe is a giant among forts—the largest masonry fort ever built in the United States. The main fortification covers 63 acres and the walls stretch 1.3 miles around it. The fort is so big that it took 15 years to build . . . — — Map (db m166637) HM
Near Bernard Road at Ruckman Road, on the right when traveling east.
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 . . . — — Map (db m166584) HM
On Bernard Road, 0.1 miles Bernard and Mathews Lane, on the left when traveling east.
Robert E. Lee, future Confederate General, was stationed at Fort Monroe 1831-1834 as a lieutenant of engineers. He had almost complete charge of construction and put the finishing touches on the fort. Lee's first child was born here in 1832. — — Map (db m8614) HM
On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling east.
In memory of first U.S. regular army officer killed in action during the Civil War Lieutenant John Trout Greble 2d U.S. Artillery USMA class of 1854 A member of this garrison killed in action at Big Bethel 10 June 1861 USMA graduates Fort . . . — — Map (db m16346) HM
Near Bernard Road just west of Mathews Lane, on the right when traveling east.
1. Fort Monroe — largest stone fort built in U.S. (1819-34). Home of Artillery School (1824-1906). Coast Artillery School (1907-1946) and other major commands.
2. Fort Wool — man-made island built on shoals by U.S. Army . . . — — Map (db m166588) HM
On Fenwick Road, 0.3 miles east of Ingalls Road, on the left when traveling east.
The lighthouse, built in 1802, is the oldest standing structure at Fort Monroe. It remains an active navigational aid, the property of the U.S. Coast Guard. During the War of 1812, the tower was used as a lookout by a British invasion force while . . . — — Map (db m165076) HM
On Ruckman Road, on the right when traveling north.
This tree, planted with authentic soil from Omaha Beach of Normandy, France, commemorates the 40th anniversary of Allied forces’ landings on 6 June 1944. It stands as a memorial to sacrifices in battle and a tangible symbol of our heritage. Planted . . . — — Map (db m12038) HM
Near Bernard Road just west of Bernard Road, on the right when traveling east.
Retreat
Retreat is a custom first used by the French Army and dates back to the Crusades. Retreat is sounded at sunset and its purpose was to notify sentries to start challenging until sunrise and to tell the rank and file to go to their . . . — — Map (db m166585) HM
On Ingalls Road at Ruckman Road, on the left when traveling south on Ingalls Road.
This piece was originally a 10-inch, smooth bore gun. It was converted in 1876 at the West Point foundry, New York, to an 8-inch rifle by inserting a rifled steel tube in the barrel. This particular conversion process was a failure as the system . . . — — Map (db m42451) HM
On Ingalls Road at Ruckman Road, on the left when traveling south on Ingalls Road.
Originally cast as a 10-inch, smooth bore gun, this weapon was converted to an 8-inch rifle in 1884 at the South Boston Iron Works. The gun weighs 15,800 pounds, has a length of 144 inches and a diameter and a diameter of 35 inches. The ordnance . . . — — Map (db m42452) HM
On Ruckman Road at Ingalls Road, on the left when traveling east on Ruckman Road.
This gun, known as number 40, formerly stood in the last casemate of the water battery. It acquired the name, "The Lovers' Gun", as it was a favorite rendezvous of sweethearts from Garrison, the Hygeia Hotel, and the
Old Chamberlin Hotel. . . . — — Map (db m184221) HM
On Stilwell Drive just west of Pullman Road, on the left when traveling west.
One night in 1905, Captain H.M. Merriam (while quite possibly under the influence of our favorite beverage) swore he saw a strange, large eyed bird outside the Fort Monroe Officers' Club. His outlandish tale quickly spread throughout the . . . — — Map (db m166643) HM
On Ruckman Road, on the right when traveling north.
Cast in 1860, this was the first 15-inch Rodman Gun. Its range was more than four miles. Weight of the projectile was over 300 lbs. During Civil War it was used to bombard Confederate batteries on Sewells Point. The gun was named for President . . . — — Map (db m185101) HM
On Bernard Road, on the right when traveling south.
One of several large cisterns shown on a map of 1834. No potable water was ever found on Old Point Comfort, although one well was sunk to more than 900 feet. The garrison had to depend on cistern water and water brought in from wells on the mainland. — — Map (db m10334) HM
This zero mile post is a replica of the original post that stood here at the end of the track on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, from which point all main line distances have been measured for the 664.9 miles to Cincinnati, Ohio, since 1889. The . . . — — Map (db m73819) HM
On Ingalls Road (U.S. 258) at Main Gate, on the left when traveling south on Ingalls Road.
In the largest land battle ever fought by the United States Army six hundred thousand valiant Americans rallied to defeat three powerful German armies in the snows of the Ardennes Forest of Belgium and Luxembourg. Almost 20 thousand soldiers made . . . — — Map (db m11478) HM
On Fenwick Road at Bomford Lane, on the right when traveling south on Fenwick Road.
Water Battery
Built in 1832, this casemated battery protected the seaward approach to Fort Monroe. It was obsolete by the 1890’s and demolished soon thereafter. All that remains is this powder room. The high ground beyond it s all that remains of a . . . — — Map (db m102143) HM
Near Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the right when traveling north.
Like Fort Monroe itself, the work force that built it was huge. Thousands of people helped plan and build the fort, completing its construction in 1834. This work force included free and enslaved blacks, contract laborers, army personnel, and . . . — — Map (db m166636) HM
On Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the left when traveling south.
The water-filled moat surrounding Fort Monroe covers about 19 acres, ranging from 50 to 250 feet in width, and was designed to be eight feet deep. The moat is tidal, fed by the waters of Mill Creek.
Excavation of the moat began in 1820. It was . . . — — Map (db m166612) HM
On Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the left when traveling south.
Captain Christopher Newport explored the land of the Kecoughton tribe in 1607. English colonists named it Cape Comfort before moving up the James River to settle at Jamestown. Captain John Smith, who surveyed the area between 1607 and 1609, . . . — — Map (db m166619) HM
On Ingalls Road just north of Fenwick Road, on the right when traveling north.
Completed in 1909, Wisser Hall (Building #138) originally served as the Coast Artillery School Library. Four floors of stacks in the rear wing held up to 60,000 volumes. Noted architect Francis B. Wheaton designed the building. It was named after . . . — — Map (db m166624) HM
