Fort Monroe‘s Quarters 1, built in 1819 before the completion of the fortification walls, was the first permanent structure erected by the Army at the fort, located in the city of Hampton. The Federal-style building was originally the home and office of Col. Charles Gratiot, the chief engineer in charge of the fort’s construction. For many years it was the post’s largest residence, and home to the highest-ranking officer on post. Among the many important decisions made by military leaders who have resided there, the most significant may have been Union Gen. Benjamin F. Butler’s 1861 declaration, during early stages of the Civil War, that runaway slaves were “contrabands” of war. The list of leaders who have either resided or stayed at Quarters 1 on Fort Monroe includes Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette, President Abraham Lincoln, and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia