Kingdom by the Sea: Fortress Monroe
Premiered October 24, 2007 at 8:30 p.m. on WHRO TV-15
“It was many and many a year ago, in a kingdom by the sea…” begins Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “Annabel Lee.” Poe was stationed at Fort Monroe during his tenure in the military and returned later in life, seeking respite at the Hotel Hygeia. It’s said that the inspiration for “Annabel Lee” came from his time at Fort Monroe.
Named Point Comfort in 1607 by the Jamestown colonists, the site has played a significant role in American history. Throughout the colonial period, a series of fortifications guarded the Hampton Roads waterways, but none lasted long until the impregnable Fort Monroe was built between 1819 and 1834.
Currently serving as a U.S. Army Training Doctrine and Command, the Department of Defense and the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission has ordered Fort Monroe closed by 2011.
A state appointed Federal Area Development Authority or FADA has been authorized to decide the future of Fort Monroe, but a passionate community debate rages. Should it be Hampton Roads’ hottest new urban village, a retreat for veterans, a green business park for think tanks and clean companies, or a National Park?
After BRAC: What Now for Fort Monroe?Premiered February, 2006.
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 Watch "Fortress Monroe: Kingdom by the Sea" - October, 2007 or
Subscribe with iTunes
Listen to HearSay November 8, 2007 program on Fort Monroe
Watch "What Now for Fort Monore ?" On Demand - Feb, 2006
Windows Media Required
Listen to HearSay July 11, 2006 program on Fort Monroe
Response to Citizen Questions
LINKS AND RESOURCES
Daily Press Archives
City of Hampton
Fort Monroe, Virginia Redevelopment Process
Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park
Fort Monroe Casemate Museum
United States Department of Defense: Base Realignment and Closure
Global Security
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Through a town hall meeting in 2006 and several editions of HearSay with Cathy Lewis, WHRO has facilitated discussion around the base closure.
 On February 23, 2006 at The American Theatre in Phoebus, the Center for Regional Citizenship hosted a live town hall meeting on the future of Fort Monroe. The program may be viewed through "Watch on Demand."
Host Cathy Lewis and her guests for an in-depth look at the future of Fort Monroe.
Guests:
- Dr. Joseph Bouchard, Center for Homeland Security and Defense
- Steve Corneliussen, Poquoson Resident
- Brian DeProfio, Office of the Hampton City Manager
- E. Dana Dickens, Hampton Roads Partnership
- Robert Harper, Federal Area Development Authority (FADA)
- Ross Kearney, Hampton City Mayor
- John Munick, Drucker & Falk Real Estate
- Kimball Payne, Daily Press
- Dr. Charles Sapp, Hampton City Council
- Jay Sweat, Federal Office of Economic Adjustment
- Other Interested Citizens
Citizens asked questions from the floor during the live town hall meeting and Hampton City Planners have responded to additional questions.
Editorial and promotional support for the Fort Monroe program
was provided by the Daily Press.
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