Fort Eustis (Newport News, Virginia)

Newport News · Virginia · World War I

Quick BriefOn March 7, 1918, the Army purchased Mulberry Island for $538,000 and established Camp Abraham Eustis as a coast artillery replacement center for Fort Monroe and a balloon observation school. Camp Abraham Eustis became Fort Eustis and a permanent military installation in 1923. In 1946, the newly formed Transportation School moved from New Orleans to Fort Eustis, consolidating training in rail, marine, amphibious operations and other modes of transportation.

Active base today

History & Significance

The U.S. Army acquired Mulberry Island in March 1918 as part of World War I mobilization, relocating approximately 200 residents to nearby areas in Warwick County. Camp Abraham Eustis served as a coast artillery replacement center and balloon observation school, named for Brevet Brigadier General Abraham Eustis, the first commanding officer of Fort Monroe and a noted 19th-century artillery expert.

The installation achieved permanent status in 1923, and the following year Eustis National Forest was established on the grounds. From 1931 to 1939, the fort served as a federal prison for Prohibition violators before reverting to military use and later hosting a Works Progress Administration camp during the Great Depression.

Reopened in August 1940 as the Coast Artillery Replacement Training Center, the installation hosted the formation of the Caribbean Regiment of the British Army in 1943. The Transportation School relocated to Fort Eustis in 1946 from New Orleans, consolidating comprehensive training in rail, marine, amphibious operations, and other transportation modes that became the installation's defining mission through the modern era.