On the evening of October 15th, I sat next to a very nice young man from the Daily Press who was as interested in the future of Fort Monore as the rest of the crowd at The American Theatre in Hampton.
The WHRO documentary, produced and directed by Amy Broad of Rock Eagle Communications, debuted and a panel discussion led by WHRV's Cathy Lewis followed.
By MATTHEW STURDEVANT
October 16, 2007
HAMPTON - — A new documentary on Fort Monroe takes a step back from recent debate and concentrates on long-term planning, National Trust for Historic Preservation attorney and regional director Robert Nieweg said during a public discussion Monday.
The documentary allows people "to get away from the wrestling match and on to the marathon," Nieweg said.
The local PBS affiliate, WHRO, held an advance screening Monday night of its half-hour documentary "Kingdom by the Sea: Fortress Monroe" followed by a panel discussion about the fate of the military base. Fort Monroe has been a military base for centuries. That historic designation ends in 2011, when the Army will vacate the premises.
The screening and discussion at The American Theatre in Phoebus drew hundreds of people who packed the theater, and many of them lined the aisles to ask questions of the panelists.
The wrestling match was back on.
The much-discussed issue — whether to make Fort Monroe a national park — was raised, and that led to questions about whether that is feasible, and how to make it a destination that is economically sustainable. That raised the question of money and how much of Fort Monroe — if any part — should be open to private development.
"We are not dealing with a blank slate, and developers love a blank slate," said Conover Hunt, interim executive director of the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority, the panel charged with plotting Monroe's future.
Hunt said she agreed with fellow panelist, Daily Press reporter Kimball Payne, who said the fort's future will be defined by its characteristics — historic, natural and architectural.
People in Hampton and across Virginia see Fort Monroe as one of the most important historic places in the state, if not the country. As the Army's departure nears, there has been increasing disagreement about what should happen to it.
That's where the documentary comes in — both as a history lesson and as a way to further the dialogue about the base.
The documentary tells the history of Fort Monroe, which goes back to 1609 when Fort Algernourne was built as a defense for Jamestown. The island in the Chesapeake Bay just off of Phoebus was a strategic military location through the Civil War. It is also considered the place where "the story of emancipation begins," as University of Pennsylvania history professor Robert F. Engs says in the documentary.
"Kingdom by the Sea" premieres on WHRO-TV 15 and WHRO-HD 15.1 at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 24.
Panelists at the event included Hunt, Payne, Nieweg, L. Preston Bryant Jr., Virginia's secretary of Natural Resources, Steve Corneliussen of Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park, Hampton Mayor Ross A. Kearney II and Jason Sweat of the Defense Department's Office of Economic Adjustment.
In discussing the military's responsibilities and perspective on Fort Monroe, Sweat said, "The Pentagon wants to see what's best for the community, what's best for the commonwealth."
There are options other than maintaining the area as a national park. Bryant said Monroe can't become a financial burden on the state or the region. Bryant said Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has three goals in planning the future of Fort Monroe: to respect the history, to allow unfettered public access and to make it economically sustainable.
October 16, 2007
HAMPTON - — A new documentary on Fort Monroe takes a step back from recent debate and concentrates on long-term planning, National Trust for Historic Preservation attorney and regional director Robert Nieweg said during a public discussion Monday.
The documentary allows people "to get away from the wrestling match and on to the marathon," Nieweg said.
The local PBS affiliate, WHRO, held an advance screening Monday night of its half-hour documentary "Kingdom by the Sea: Fortress Monroe" followed by a panel discussion about the fate of the military base. Fort Monroe has been a military base for centuries. That historic designation ends in 2011, when the Army will vacate the premises.
The screening and discussion at The American Theatre in Phoebus drew hundreds of people who packed the theater, and many of them lined the aisles to ask questions of the panelists.
The wrestling match was back on.
The much-discussed issue — whether to make Fort Monroe a national park — was raised, and that led to questions about whether that is feasible, and how to make it a destination that is economically sustainable. That raised the question of money and how much of Fort Monroe — if any part — should be open to private development.
"We are not dealing with a blank slate, and developers love a blank slate," said Conover Hunt, interim executive director of the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority, the panel charged with plotting Monroe's future.
Hunt said she agreed with fellow panelist, Daily Press reporter Kimball Payne, who said the fort's future will be defined by its characteristics — historic, natural and architectural.
People in Hampton and across Virginia see Fort Monroe as one of the most important historic places in the state, if not the country. As the Army's departure nears, there has been increasing disagreement about what should happen to it.
That's where the documentary comes in — both as a history lesson and as a way to further the dialogue about the base.
The documentary tells the history of Fort Monroe, which goes back to 1609 when Fort Algernourne was built as a defense for Jamestown. The island in the Chesapeake Bay just off of Phoebus was a strategic military location through the Civil War. It is also considered the place where "the story of emancipation begins," as University of Pennsylvania history professor Robert F. Engs says in the documentary.
"Kingdom by the Sea" premieres on WHRO-TV 15 and WHRO-HD 15.1 at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 24.
Panelists at the event included Hunt, Payne, Nieweg, L. Preston Bryant Jr., Virginia's secretary of Natural Resources, Steve Corneliussen of Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park, Hampton Mayor Ross A. Kearney II and Jason Sweat of the Defense Department's Office of Economic Adjustment.
In discussing the military's responsibilities and perspective on Fort Monroe, Sweat said, "The Pentagon wants to see what's best for the community, what's best for the commonwealth."
There are options other than maintaining the area as a national park. Bryant said Monroe can't become a financial burden on the state or the region. Bryant said Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has three goals in planning the future of Fort Monroe: to respect the history, to allow unfettered public access and to make it economically sustainable.
Found this great aerial shot on a Russian website. Hmmm....
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