Fort Wool (Hampton, Virginia)
Hampton · Virginia · Civil War
History & Significance
Engineer Simon Bernard was tasked by Secretary of War John C. Calhoun to create or improve fortifications for vital U.S. ports, and named his design Fort Calhoun. Built on a 15-acre artificial island southeast of Old Point Comfort in Hampton, construction began in 1819 when crews started dumping granite boulders.
Construction commenced in 1826, and two-thirds of the first tier was finished by 1830, but the island's foundation continued settling, stopping work on higher tiers. Young engineer Robert E. Lee was assigned to stabilize the island as his first independent command.
President Andrew Jackson governed from the fort during summers from 1829 to 1837. The fort was renamed from Fort Calhoun to Fort Wool on March 18, 1862, honoring Major General John Wool.
An experimental Sawyer gun rifled 24-pounder was installed in mid-1861, with range extending over three miles to Sewell's Point. In 1902, all original structures except eight casemates were demolished and replaced with modern batteries mounting six-inch and three-inch guns.
Decommissioned in 1953 and given to Virginia, the fort later had the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel constructed nearby, connected by causeway, opening in 1957. Now designated a State and National Historic Landmark, the 19th-century casemates face immediate danger of collapse, with ceiling fissures first noticed in Lee's time continuing to expand.
Key Facts
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Sources
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-hampton-roads-fort-wool
- https://armyhistory.org/fort-wool-virginia/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Wool
- https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/114-0041/
- https://www.hampton.gov/2052/Fort-Wool
- https://virginiaplaces.org/military/fortwool.html