HAPPY NEW YEAR
2012!!!
Fort Monroe to become National Monument
The announcement that President Barack Obama will use the Antiquities
Act to designate Fort Monroe as a National Monument was welcome news in
Hampton.
Mayor Molly Ward said, “We are thrilled and grateful that the President
has chosen to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate a
major portion of Fort Monroe as a National Monument.”
Since the closing of the base was announced in 2005, the City has worked
with citizens and other elected officials to ensure that the history
and beauty of the fort be protected as a public place.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Sunday that the designation would happen on Tuesday, based on an interview with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
Since the closing of the base was announced in 2005, the City has worked
with citizens and other elected officials to ensure that the history
and beauty of the fort be protected as a public place.
“This effort has shown what we can do when we put our political
differences aside and work for the common good,” said Ward. “We have
achieved this goal with bipartisan support of Senators Jim Webb and Mark
Warner; Congressmen Randy Forbes, Scott Rigell, Bobby Scott and Rob
Wittman; Governor Bob McDonnell and his administration; the City of
Hampton; a variety of dedicated conservation partners including the
National Park Conservation Association and the National Trust for
Historic Preservation; and individual advocates, historians and citizen
groups, particularly the Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park.
“A National Monument at Fort Monroe will give the fort the stature it
deserves in our Nation's history. Very few Americans know the story of
the Contraband Slaves, and how slavery really ended in the United
States. I believe the significance of the President's designation, and
the significance of Fort Monroe, will continue to grow in years to come
as its story becomes known.”
In addition, said Ward, it will provide an economic boost to Hampton and
help strengthen the Hampton Roads region as a strong tourist
attraction.
“Having a National Monument, especially one of such importance, will
have an enormous impact on the economy of the City of Hampton and the
Hampton Roads region. Studies consistently show that National Parks
create jobs, and increase adjacent property values. This designation
will help the City and the village of Phoebus regain the vitality and
jobs lost through the Army's departure and the base closure.”
Many citizen groups and Hampton city officials have been working to get
the historic fort designated as a national park. Those efforts have
moved forward,
and the size of the proposed park has been increased
several times due to public support. Currently, the proposal would
include 244 acres of direct park ownership, with a total of 324 acres
within the park boundary.
That puts 57 percent of the fort within the
proposed park boundary. Thousands of citizens voiced support in person,
in letters and online to the National Park Service during its public
comment period.
For more background on Fort Monroe's history, read the full release.
About National Historic Landmarks
National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) are places that possess national significance and exceptional value in interpreting the heritage of the United States. NHLs are designated by the Secretary of the Interior of the United States. The National Historic Landmarks Program is administered by the National Park Service (NPS), within the Department of the Interior. Currently, there are over 2,400 NHLs in the United States and its territories.
What are National Historic Landmarks?
National Historic Landmarks are buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that have been determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be nationally significant in American history and culture. Many of the most renowned historic properties in the Nation are Landmarks.
Mount Vernon, Pearl Harbor, the Apollo Mission Control Center, Alcatraz and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthplace are Landmarks that illustrate important contributions to the Nation's historical development.
How are National Historic Landmarks different
from other historic properties listed in the
National Register of Historic Places?
Landmarks have been recognized by the Secretary of the Interior as possessing national significance. Nationally significant properties help us understand the history of the Nation and illustrate the nationwide impact of events or persons associated with the property, its architectural type or style, or information potential. A nationally significant property is of exceptional value in representing or illustrating an important theme in the history of the Nation.
Properties listed on the National Register are primarily of State and
local significance.
With a State or locally significant property, its impact is restricted to a smaller geographic area. For example, many historic schools are listed on the National Register because of the historically important role they played in educating
individuals in the community or State in which they are located. Central High School, in Little Rock, Arkansas, is nationally significant because it was the site of the first major confrontation over implementation of the Supreme Court's 1954 decision outlawing racial segregation in public schools. The city's
resistance led to President Eisenhower's decision to send Federal troops to enforce desegregation at this school in 1957.
All National Historic Landmarks are included in the National Register, which is the official list of the Nation's historic properties worthy of preservation. Landmarks constitute more than 2400 of almost 76,000 entries in the National Register; the others are of State and local significance.
The process for listing a property in the National Register is different from that for Landmark designation with different criteria and procedures used. Some properties are recommended as nationally significant when they are nominated to the National Register, but before they can be designated as National Historic Landmarks, they must be evaluated by the National Park Service's National Historic Landmark Survey, reviewed by the National Park System Advisory Board, and recommended to the Secretary of the Interior.
Aerial view of Fort Monroe, Virginia
Courtesy of the City of Hampton, Virginia
How are National Historic Landmarks Selected?
Potential Landmarks are identified primarily through theme studies undertaken by the National Park Service; these studies provide a comparative analysis of properties associated with a specific area of American history, such as Labor or Women's History. The historic importance of these potential Landmarks is evaluated by the National Park Service and the National Park System Advisory Board twice yearly at meetings that are open to the public.
The Advisory Board includes citizens who are national and community leaders in the conservation of natural, historic, and cultural areas.
Recommendations by the Advisory Board are made to the Secretary of the Interior on potential National Historic Landmarks. Final decisions regarding National Historic Landmark designation are made by the Secretary of the Interior.
In most cases, designation by the Secretary occurs six to eight weeks following the Advisory Board's recommendation. Designation may be delayed if questions regarding the significance, physical condition, or boundaries of a potential Landmark are raised by the Advisory Board or the Secretary of the Interior.
Nominations prepared by other Federal agencies, State Historic Preservation Officers, and individuals are accepted for review and represent an increasing number of nominations reviewed each year.