Springhill Suites Hampton Coliseum

Hampton Tip

by rids

Here is a picture of a Monkfish. Now you know why they are called Teufelfisch--definitely devilish looking. This particular one is from Pike Place Market in Seattle, and they propped the mouth open to gross out the tourists. Monkfish come in all sizes--this one is only medium size. The big ones are REALLY big. The ones I bought in Hampton were small (about 2 lbs. each). I didn't even know they came this small. No matter what the size, YUM, YUM.

Fort Monroe Museum 2005

by grandmaR

On the Fort Monroe homepage there is a feature called:

THIS MONTH IN FORT MONROE HISTORY....

On that page in March 2005 ...

March 6, 1862 - USS Monitor leaves New York enroute to Fort Monroe
March 7, 1920 - First Chamberlin Hotel destroyed by fire
March 8, 1862 - CSS Virginia (Merrimack) attacks Union fleet in Hampton Roads
March 9, 1862 - Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack

They have several dioramas set up, including one of firing the guns (above), one of the cell where CSA ex President Davis was held for several months, and one of a quarters for an army family with a piano, and a bed - an officer would get 2 rooms. The picture of the bedroom is under the Things to Do tips. This is the piano.

This section shows a recreation of the Casement Club which was apparently an early officer's club.

Edgar Allan Poe spent a brief portion of his military career at Fort Monroe, from December 15, 1828, until April 15, 1829. During his enlistment Poe rose from the rank of "artificer" (soldier mechanic) to sergeant major. Shortly after the conclusion of his tour of duty a collection of his works entitled Al, Aaraaf, Tammerland, and Minor Poems was published in December 1829. Poe's last visit to Fort Monroe came twenty years later. On September 9, 1849, he visited the Hygria Hotel where he recited several of his more famous works to a group of his friends on the hotel's scenic veranda. Less than a month later Poe was dead.

This chair is reputed to have been used by Jefferson Davis during his imprisonment in Carroll Hall from October 1865-May 1867.

Because he was suspected of having a role in the assassination of Lincoln, he was initially incarcerated in a prison in the casements (as Dr. Mudd was enprisoned at Fort Jefferson).

This is a model of the 12" disappearing gun which was one of the most significant seacoast weapons of the early twentieth century. It fired a 1,000 pound projectile further than the guns on most battleships. When fired, the recoil retracted the weapon behind the embankment, concealing it from enemy observation, at the same time, it could be reloaded and aimed for the next shell. When ready to fire, the gun would be reset using weights and stay in position until fired again. These guns helped defend Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay from 1901 to 1944.

One of the many interesting exhibits at Fort Monroe is this map which has an audio narrative and illustrative light display. This ends with a pretend attack on the fort by a ship in which all the weapons on land are deployed.

Fort Monroe's original mission was to protect the entrance to Hampton Roads, so they mounted an impressive complement of the most powerful artillery of the time. The 32-pounder guns with a range of over one mile. This was just enough range to cover the main shipping channel into the area. Additional armament was installed at Fort Wool.

Over time the armament at the fort was improved, taking advantage of new technologies. In order to cover not just the entrance to Fort Monroe, but to the Chesapeake, artillery was installed at Cape Charles and Fort Story among other places.

By World War II Fort Monroe served as headquarters for an impressive array of coast artillery guns ranging from 3-inch rapid fire guns to 16-inch guns capable of firing a 2,000 pound projectile 25 miles. In addition, the Army controlled submarine barriers and underwater mine fields. But this vast array of armaments was all made obsolete by the development of the long-range bomber and the aircraft carrier.