Fort Monroe's Casemate Museum, Hampton, Virginia, History Rich Exhibits Inside America's Largest Stone Fort

Located inside of the city of Hampton, Virginia, about 40 miles from Virginia Beach, is the site of one of the oldest forts in the country. Fort Monroe is what stands there now, but three other forts came before it.

The first of those, Fort Algernourne, was built in 1609. That fort only stood for a short three years before burning down in 1612. Old Point Comfort was built in 1632 followed by Fort George in 1749. Hurricanes wreaked havoc on both of those forts, both of which were partially destroyed.

Fort Monroe, which is the largest stone fort in the country, was built in the early 1800's with the mission of protecting America from attacks from the sea. Dozens of canons lines the perimeter of the fort, ready to destroy any ship that threatened the safety of the shorelines.

The Casemate Museum first opened on Fort Monroe, which is still an active army base, in 1951. Originally, the sole mission of the museum was to allow visitors to view the cell in which Confederate President Jefferson Davis had been kept during the Civil War.

Since that time, however, many other items and exhibits have been added to the museum. Artifacts displayed in the Casemate Museum include 19th century uniforms, weapons, news clippings, medical instruments, and artistic renderings.

There are also displays highlighting how some of the rooms have been used in the past. Another popular exhibit highlights politician Benjamin Butler's decision regarding slaves who had come within his lines during the Civil War. Butler, who at the time was brigadier general of the militia, allowed the slaves to stay at the fort and refused to return them to their owners.

He did this in spite of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, a law in force at the time that required the return of slaves. Butler found a loophole to the law by stating that the slaves were contraband of war and, for that reason, need not be returned. This allowed him to grant the slaves as much freedom as they could have at that time in the nation's history.

One visitor from Indiana liked the fact that she had to cross a moat in order to get the museum. She said that when she entered the museum, she felt like she was stepping back in time. She said, "You can actually see and feel what it was like to live inside a fort.''

Fort Monroe is still an active army base. For this reason, a valid photo identification must be presented in order to enter Fort Monroe and visit the museum. Historic Fort Monroe is slated for closure by September of the year 2011. The fate of the Casemate Museum remains uncertain.