CASTLES NORFOLK

Fort Norfolk at Norfolk, Virginia, authorized in 1794 by President George Washington, is the last remaining fortification of his 18th-century harbor defense system. Built between 1795 and 1809, the four-acre site overlooking the Elizabeth River includes earthwork embankments, ramparts, a dungeon, officers' quarters, powder magazine, barracks, and guardhouse. The fort defended Norfolk during the War of 1812 and the Civil War; its powder magazine supplied the CSS Virginia during its famous encounter with the USS Monitor. Designated a national historic district and listed on the National Register in 1976, it offers free self-guided tours.

Fort Wool, originally called Fort Calhoun, was built between 1818 and 1861 on Rip Raps Island in Hampton Roads to maintain crossfire defense with Fort Monroe. Constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following the War of 1812, the fort was renamed Fort Wool in 1862 to honor Union General John Wool. During the Civil War, its garrison witnessed the historic Battle of Hampton Roads in March 1862, where the USS Monitor battled the CSS Virginia. The site remains both a state and national historic landmark, preserving an important chapter of American maritime and military defense history.