THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 2, 1994 TAG: 9408030606
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DIANE TENNANT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
THE ROOF OF the Casemate Museum in Hampton is a pleasant place on a sunny day, possibly the only roof in Hampton Roads where you can pick a dandelion, pick up some history and pick up a suntan at the same time.
The museum is inside the thick stone walls of Fort Monroe, the largest stone fort ever built in the United States and the only active Army fort surrounded by a moat. The roof of the museum, which is the grassy top of the walls, is also accessible to visitors.
Built in the 1800s, the casemates - the cool, dark rooms which housed the cannons - have played host to young soldiers Robert E. Lee and Edgar Allan Poe as well as the imprisoned Jefferson Davis.
Today, they house a military history museum. Period costume, uniforms, living quarters, Davis' cell, artifacts fished from the moat and guns of various types are displayed. Guides are available, or you can walk yourself through.
The site has been the location of various forts, beginning in 1609. Construction on the present fort began in 1819, after the British sacked Hampton during the War of 1812 and sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to Washington, D.C.
Fort Monroe has played a major role in coastal protection ever since. It was the site of the nation's first artillery school, in 1824. According to museum pamphlets, the Coast Artillery had some of the largest weapons in military history there from 1907 to 1946.
Today, things are much more peaceful at Fort Monroe, which is headquarters for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. Nice buildings, old cannons, big moat, casemates. Besides the obvious educational value, the museum is a wonderfully cool place on a blazing hot day.
Keep in mind that the low stone arches were built when soldiers' average height was at least 6 inches less than it is today, so duck as you go through.
When you have finished strolling through the stone passages, you can go back outside and climb a staircase or a ramp to get on top of the walls. The view of Hampton Roads from the flagpole bastion shows why the fort was built on this point of land.
The view is more restricted as you stroll along the walls, because the sides were built high for protection. But kids get a kick out of balancing along the low rails where guns once pivoted and from picking dandelions as they peek down on passing cars.
You can also walk on a bridge over the moat, watching jellyfish rise into view and then slowly fall away. It's good for a few minutes' entertainment.
The walking tour of Fort Monroe takes you past the chapel, Robert E. Lee's quarters and other points of interest.
When you're finished there, it's worth a stroll to the adjacent Chamberlin Hotel. Wide verandas offer seats in the breeze and an even better view of Hampton Roads and its varied floating traffic. A seawall and paved walk run the length of the waterfront, giving great views of terns, skimmers and other birds.
If you haven't had your fill of heat and military history, stop by Air Power Park on your way home. This little park on Mercury Boulevard is crammed with real airplanes, missiles and rockets gleaned from the military. The visitors center has lots of airplane models on display and panels of historical photos tracing the history of local aviation. The panels also tell the Hampton's history, which is fascinating in itself, and give a look at aircraft of the future under study at nearby NASA Langley Research Center.
The park has a picnic area and a small playground for kids. The entire outdoor exhibit is in a state of genteel decay, with informational panels missing from many displays and several in need of paint.
Aviation buffs brush this aside with the explanation that the park is still wonderful because it is the only place to view real military aircraft and rockets from the Korean War era that are perhaps no longer in service but too new to be in, say, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
Both Fort Monroe and Air Power Park have the added blessing of restrooms and water fountains. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
DIANE TENNANT
A visitor looks into the business end of a cannon outside the
Casemate Museum.
Graphic
JUST THE FACTS
Destination: Fort Monroe and Air Power Park, Hampton
Hours: Fort Monroe: 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Air Power
Park: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Both closed on Thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Year's Day.
Food: Restaurants abound along Mercury Boulevard and around
interstate exits. Air Power Park has picnic tables.
by CNB