Expand Park Service role at Fort Monroe

The Virginian-Pilot 
© June 15, 2010

When the Army departs Fort Monroe in Hampton next year, the state of Virginia will become the owner of a major tourist attraction. As Ann Clausen, a consultant who helped draft a blueprint for the 570-acre property, recently put it, "There's a lot to do here already."

And there is. The Casemate Museum, for starters, offers a sweeping view of four centuries of history - a tale populated by Capt. John Smith, Chief Black Hawk, Edgar Allan Poe, Harriet Tubman, Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln.

But if Fort Monroe is going to reach its potential - as a tourist destination, educational resource, research center, economic development engine and community gathering place - the state will need help.

Last month, Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner joined Reps. Glenn Nye, Bobby Scott and Rob Wittman in sending a long-awaited letter formally asking the National Park Service to take on a greater role.

The Fort Monroe Authority, a state panel, has been working on plans for the National Historic Landmark site when the Army turns it over next year as part of ongoing base closures and realignments.

Much of the discussion has centered on how much development should be allowed. The consensus is to preserve historic and environmental resources and make greater use of the fort's beachfront.

Revenue for maintenance and upgrades (the Casemate Museum's exhibits, for example, need refreshing) would be generated by leasing buildings for office space and other compatible uses. The model most often cited is the Presidio in California.

Two years ago, the National Park Service completed a study that called Fort Monroe "an exceptionally important portal" through which to view American history. But the report left unanswered what role, if any, the agency would play in managing the site.

The appropriate answer, in a word: significant.

Of vital interest is the story of three slaves - Frank Baker, Sheppard Mallory and James Townsend - who fled to the fort early in the Civil War. They were deemed contraband of war by the Union general in command, a move that prompted more than 10,000 slaves to make their way to "Freedom's Fortress."

This chapter in the fort's history, unknown to most Americans, deserves more attention than it has received. The National Park Service is equipped to present the breadth of the fort's history to visitors.

There is much to do at Fort Monroe now. But there's much more left to do to ensure its rich role in American history gets the notice it deserves.