Fort Monroe
Why it's listed
Fort Monroe occupies Old Point Comfort in Hampton, Virginia, where a seven-sided stone fortress was built between 1819 and 1847. General Simon Bernard, once an aide to Napoleon I, designed it to protect the channel from Chesapeake Bay into Hampton Roads. The walls are ten feet thick at the base, and the fort covers sixty-three acres. The wider district includes Quarters No. 1, Engineer Wharf, the 1802 Old Point Comfort Lighthouse, and Endicott-era batteries built between 1892 and 1906. During the Civil War the fort stayed in Union hands, became a refuge for escaped slaves after General Benjamin Butler's 1861 declaration, and held Jefferson Davis as a prisoner from 1865. The Army's first artillery school opened here in 1824 and remained, with closures, until 1946. Its batteries show the shift from masonry fortification to detached coastal guns. Robert E. Lee and Edgar Allan Poe both served at the post as young men.
Significance in brief: The form calls it the largest fortress ever built in America and ties it to Civil War events, including its role as a haven for escaped slaves, Jefferson Davis's imprisonment, and the Monitor-Merrimack battle. It also housed the Army's first artillery school, and its batteries illustrate coast artillery development from 1824 to 1904.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 66000912, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Old Point Comfort, Hampton (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Hampton |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000912 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1819-1946 |
| Architect / builder | Simon Bernard (designer, former aide to Napoleon I); Corps of Engineers (Engineer Wharf) |
| Areas of significance | Military, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National, Local |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 19, 1960 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Department of the Army, occupied and in government and military use at the time of the form; Old Point Comfort Lighthouse still in operation; Battery Anderson/George Ruggles described as crumbling. |
| Acreage | 400 |
| Coordinates | 37.00313, -76.30829 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 66000912.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1438639
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.