A Historic Event for Historic Garden Week 2016

A Historic Event for
2016
For the first time in the 83-year history of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week, the homes of Hampton’s historic Fort
Monroe will be featured. Tour homes once occupied by flag officers on Generals Row, overlooking the mouth of the
Chesapeake Bay. In addition, historic houses on charming, tree-lined Ingalls Road will also be open for touring. With flower lectures, guided tours of the Chapel of the Centurion and Casemate Museum, lunch at the Historic
Chamberlin or Paradise Ocean Club, spend a full day exploring the largest stone fort built in the U.S.
Hampton’s tour is Wednesday, April 27, 2016. Make this a Coastal Virginia experience by combining James River
Plantations or Williamsburg gardens on Tuesday and Norfolk gardens on Thursday! Historic Garden Week is the
oldest and largest statewide house and garden tour in the nation and benefits the restoration of important grounds
Preview of homes for Historic Garden Week Fort Monroe
Building 93; 75 Ingalls Road
Constructed in 1884, building 93 served as the Fort Monroe Post Commander’s residence for much
of the 20th century. The home features 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and almost 4,000 square feet of
living space. With its wide semi-circular drive and white-columned two-story porches, the structure is an integral feature of the officers' housing lining Ingalls Road.
Building 118; 29 Fenwick Road
Completed in 1907/1908, building 118 originally served as Coast Artillery Officer housing and is situated
prominently on General’s Row, across from Continental Park. The home features 6 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms and over 5,000 square feet of living space. It boasts a stunning view of the Chesapeake Bay, Norfolk,
and Virginia Beach.
Building 119; 33 Fenwick Road House And Garden
Completed 1907/1908, building 119 originally served as the Coast Artillery Commanding General’s residence and is situated prominently on General’s Row,
across from the bandstand at Continental Park. The home features 9 bedrooms,
5.5 bathrooms and over 8,500 square feet of living space. It was designed by Brig.
Gen. Arthur Murray. The plan was adopted as Quartermaster General’s Office
Plan 3-655 and used on at least two other army posts in the
nation. Prior to Fort Monroe’s decommissioning, building 119
was home to the Commanding General of Training and Doctrine
Command (TRADOC). One of the last TRADOC commanders to reside in the home was General Martin Dempsey,
who currently serves as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Building 142; 51 Fenwick Road
Certified for occupancy in January 1910, building 142 originally served as Coast Artillery officer
housing and is considered one of the homes along General’s Row. The home features 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and over 4,500 square feet of living space. The original plans, Quartermaster General Office Number 241, had called for relatively high roofs, but General Arthur
Murray, then Chief of the Coast Artillery, examined the plans and saw that if the houses were
built as designed they would blanket the range-finders, set in towers which once stood on the
walls of the fort. According to a contemporary letter, "General Murray lopped off the tops of
the house" and the shortened structures have been called "The Flat-tops" ever since.
Building 60 – 67 Fenwick Road
Completed around 1890, building 60 was originally designed as the Lighthouse Keeper’s
Quarters and is situated beside the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse. This building is the second
Keeper’s quarters to stand on this site. When the lighthouse
was automated in 1973, it was transferred to the army and became officer housing. Prior to 1973, the building housed Coast
Guard personnel and the two floors were separate quarters
with no interior staircase. The light keeper occupied the first
floor and his assistant lived on the second.
Enhance your Fort Monroe Experience:
Tour the Casemate Museum and the Chapel of the Centurion. The Casemate Museum, located within the walls of the largest stone fort ever built in the U.S.,
chronicles the history of the fort and the Coast Artillery Corps. During the Civil
War, many enslaved people escaped to Union-held Fort Monroe, earning it the
nickname, “Freedom’s Fortress.” Highlights include the cell where Confederate
President Jefferson Davis was imprisoned. Additional Fort Monroe highlights
include Quarter’s Number One, Old Point Comfort Light, Chapel of the Centurion
and Lt. Robert E. Lee's quarters.
Enjoy Lunch at the Historic Chamberlin, once a grand hotel on the Chesapeake Bay, or on the sandy
bay beach setting of the Paradise Ocean Club. Box lunches will also be available to enjoy while
watching marine traffic and Navy vessels pass through the Hampton Roads harbor. End your day
with the “Blooms and Brews” after tour party or dinner in Phoebus or downtown Hampton. Plans
are being finalized to make Historic Garden Week at Fort Monroe a unique and memorable event.
There’s plenty of free motorcoach parking at Fort Monroe and homes are within easy walking distance of tour reception headquarters. Homes open at 10am and close at 5pm. Allow at least two hours for the five homes on tour, but you can spend the day
touring Fort Monroe and Hampton. Other Hampton attractions include the Hampton History Museum, St. John’s Church, Hampton University Museum, the Virginia Air & Space Center, and the Miss Hampton II Harbor Cruise.
Historic Gardens for a Multi-Day Experience:
Tuesday: Spring makes everything new, even in the past. The renewal of spring parallels the reawakening of Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area after winter’s dormancy. Crocuses and daffodils are some of the first blossoms to spring forth with the
warmth of the sun. Gardens, large and small, grand and simple, burst with color and fragrance. Private homes not normally available in the historic area are open for tour on Historic Garden Week in Williamsburg. Enjoy an early dinner at an historic tavern or
discover the Boxwood Inn in neighboring Newport News. Stay overnight in Hampton, the center of Coastal Virginia.
Wednesday: Newport News and Hampton share Wednesday of Historic Garden Week and alternate cities every other year.
Hampton will host the 2016 tour and feature homes at Historic Fort Monroe. Begin your morning at the Hampton History Museum. Experience four centuries of national history and view how Hampton evolved as “America’s Gateway” from Native American
days to the Space Age. Take a spin on the 1920 Hampton Carousel in Carousel Park on the Hampton waterfront. Enjoy lunch at
Fort Monroe before you begin the home tour, followed by a tour of the Casemate Museum and the Chapel of the Centurion.
“Dinnertainment” awaits you at The Grey Goose Tearoom or exploration of the Peninsula Town Center’s shops and eateries.
Thursday: Travel across the Hampton Roads harbor to the “Southside” for a tour of homes as unique as the neighborhoods they
are found in historic Norfolk. Begin with a morning tour of the Norfolk Botanical Garden and discover a variety of plants-from the
cultivated to the wild. Experience 155 glorious acres by guided tours on foot, tram, or boat. Enjoy lunch in one of the chef
owned restaurants on Granby Street in downtown Norfolk before you experience the lovely homes on Norfolk’s historic streets.
A Combo ticket offers great savings for Williamsburg and Hampton garden tours. Plans are underway for a 2016 Trio Ticket to
include Norfolk as well! More details to follow.
For Additional Information visit www.vagardenweek.org or contact Bruce Newton, Hampton CVB, bnewton@hamptoncvb.com