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View Full Version : Ownership of Fort Monroe Returned to Virginia



Keith Outten
09-16-2011, 9:15 PM
Yesterday the United States Army returned Fort Monroe to the Commonwealth of Virginia after almost 188 years of military occupation.

The Fort, known as The Defender of the Chesapeake, has been a strategic military fortification from Colonial times through World War II. At some point in time the Fort itself will undoubtedly be transferred to the Federal Government and designated as a National Park. The remainder of the island will remain the property of Virginia or possibly be returned to its rightful owner, the City of Hampton.

As the US Army leaves all that is left now are questions about what will happen to this very desirable island and who will make decisions concerning its fate.
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charlie knighton
09-18-2011, 4:53 PM
Keith, my Dad had reuions there every weekend of the kenturcky derby, he look some summer rotc training there

Gary Hodgin
09-18-2011, 6:33 PM
It does seem to take a long time for the U.S. Army to pull out. I guess VA is secure enough now.

Don Buck
09-19-2011, 11:53 AM
My dad was a civil service employee at Fort (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe)Monroe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe)for all my grade school years. I grew up in Hampton and have many memories of the fort, learning to trap and skeet shoot at the range beyond Dog Beach, learning to swim at the fort’s YMCA, my first date taking a girl to bingo at the officers club and attending church at the historic Chapel of the Centurion (http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/fort-monroe-chapel-decommissioned).

Talk about a developer’s dream and nightmare – 400 year old live oaks and miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay sitting on top of 100 year old unexploded ordinances, alleged toxic waste (including the lead from the trap and skeet range) and historical sites.

It will be interesting and probably disheartening to see what the state and city of Hampton finally do with the historic facility.

charlie knighton
09-19-2011, 4:20 PM
Don, how large is the island, maybe we can get Baxter to control it?

Keith Outten
09-20-2011, 6:45 AM
Don,

Another Home Town Boy............I was born and raised in Hampton as well and I spent a lot of time at Fort Monroe when I was young.

The ordinance that will remain in the Fort will no doubt be off limits to the public as it has been for a hundred years.
The property outside of the Fort is so valuable I expect the cost of cleaning it up won't be a problem.

With Norfolk Naval Base just a mile away I am pretty sure that we are safe from harm, well, as safe as you can be during these times :)
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Charlie, I don't know how large the island is but I can try to fin out.

Don Buck
09-20-2011, 8:35 AM
Charlie - I believe the fort is 554 acres.
Keith - I'm a Hampton Crabber ('70) and lived in Riverdale (1959 - 1970)

Don

Keith Outten
09-20-2011, 12:21 PM
Don,

Geez it is a small world.........I was in the 10th grade at HHS in 1968 and I lived on Westover Street just off of King Street in Hampton. I was at Thomas Eaton Jr High when it opened which is practically in your neighborhood.
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