8/13/13 Ft Wool, Hampton,VA

08/13/13  Melissa, Tim and Meridian joined us for a delightful short trip and visit to Fort Wool, Hampton, Virginia- Fort Wool was a seacoast fortification located in the mouth of Hampton Roads approximately one mile south of Fort Monroe. The island fortress, accessible only by boat, was designed by Brigadier General of engineers Simon Bernard, an expatriated Frenchman who had served under Napoleon as his chief engineer, was one of more than forty forts started after the War of 1812 when the British boldly sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to burn the Capital.[2] Started upon a shoal of ballast stones that were dumped as sailing ships entered Hampton's harbor called Rip Raps, the fort was to have three tiers of casemates and a parapet mounting a total of 232 muzzle-loading cannons. Originally named Castle Calhoun for the Secretary of War, John C. Calhoun, Fort Wool was built to maintain a crossfire with Fort Monroe, located directly across the channel, thereby protecting the entrance to the harbor.[ Construction of this island fortress was directed by Robert E. Lee. Dating to 1819, it played important roles in the Civil War and in both World Wars, bearing witness to the battle of the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. Fort Wool also has a little-known association with presidents. President Andrew Jackson, broken hearted after the death of his wife and in frail health, came to Fort Wool in the late 1820s and the 1830s. Jackson made the fort his "White House." Jackson built a hut and would watch ships from on the island. He even made key policy decisions from the fort with cabinet advisers. Ironically President Jackson's Secretary of War John C. Calhoun had become the president's arch rival by this stage, by threatening to pull South Carolina out of the union. Later President John Tyler took sanctuary on the island after the death of his wife. President Abraham Lincoln also visited the fort in order to observe the Union Forces attack on Norfolk. Fort Wool even has an association with the actor Sir Alec Guinness, who was grounded in a minefield off the fort in World War II. The comedian Red Skelton also showed up at Fort Wool during the war to entertain troops. The outmoded fort was finally abandoned by the military in 1953. (from Wikipedia) The tour is self guided and very interesting-to the adults. How do you keep a 4 y/o’s interest? Design running games to different landmarks on the Fort!!