Fort Monroe's Casemate Museum: Life Within the Walls (Hampton, Va.)
© 1998 By Brian Wasson
The relatives are visiting for a week, and you're expected to entertain them. You're looking for something the men, women, and kids will find interesting, and the cheaper the better. Well, take advantage of your federal tax dollars at work here in Hampton Roads and check out the Casemate Museum, a free museum located in Hampton's Fort Monroe.
Fort Monroe is the name of both a current army base and an historic stone fortress. The fort is the largest stone fortification ever built in the United States. Building began in 1819 and continued for 15 years. The base is currently home to the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, and was previously used as a base for the coastal artillery that defended the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads.
As you drive across the moat and through a narrow portal in the thick stone walls you feel like you are going back in time. Fort Monroe was in its heyday during the Civil War, when it was the only Union-controlled fort in the Upper South. Escaping slaves called it the "freedom fort" as it provided a haven for them. The fort was never captured by the Confederacy.
The fort is perhaps best known as the prison of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who was imprisoned there from 1865 to 1867. Other notable residents of Fort Monroe included Robert E. Lee, who was a resident engineer for three years (his living quarters, not open to the public, are directly across from the museum), and the author Edgar Allan Poe who was posted at the base for a little over a year. President Lincoln even visited on more than one occasion.
The museum is housed in the stone walls of the fort, using the various "casemates" as display rooms. A casemate is a chamber in the wall of a fort. They were used primarily as gun emplacements, but were also used for storage and even living quarters.
Displays include the casemate where Jefferson Davis was imprisoned, as well as other living quarters that include furniture from the turn of the century. Military buffs won't be disappointed, either, as there are plenty of displays on the history of coastal artillery, the civil war, and other aspects of military life on the base. A ten-minute film on the history of the fort is shown every hour.
After visiting the museum, take some time to walk around the old fort. On either side of the museum are steps leading up to the ramparts, where you can see the old gun emplacements and get a great view of the Hampton Roads area. You'll also find a viewing platform with pay-for-view telescopes. Be sure to note the many tiny headstones marking pet graves along the top of the wall!
On the right side of the museum is a pedestrian bridge over the moat that takes you to the "moat walk" that circles the fort. Within the walls of the fort are base offices and housing, many of which are still in use. There is also a self-guided walking tour of the fort which starts at the museum.
Outside the fort walls, but still on the Fort Monroe base, are nice grassy areas, benches, and a fishing pier -- a great place to spend some time on a sunny day. As you drive around the base, note the impressive houses and Old Point Comfort lighthouse, an historic small brick lighthouse.
Particulars
Directions: Take the Mallory St. exit (# 286) off I-64. Follow the brown signs to the Casemate Museum or the signs to Fort Monroe. From Mallory St., turn right onto Route 143 (E. Mellen St.) -- there is a small sign directing you to Fort Monroe on the corner. You'll continue through the Phoebus area, cross a small bridge, and come to a light at the entrance to the base.
Go straight through the light, pass the guardhouse (you may have to stop to tell them you are going to the museum), and continue straight on Ingalls Rd. In less than a mile you will come to a brown "Casemate Museum" sign directing you to turn left (a stone church will be on your right). Go across the moat, through a traffic light, and through the walls of the old fort. Turn right and follow the road to the museum. The museum will be on the right, and parking will be on the left. Note: wide or high vehicles will need to be parked outside the old fort walls as they will not fit through the openings.
Hours/phone: The Casemate Museum is open weekdays, weekends, and most holidays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is handicap accessible. The phone number is 757-727-3391.
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