The Historic Chamberlin Hotel - Historic Fort Monroe (sitios de interés)

The Chamberlin Hotel

National Register of Historic Places

The commercially run Chamberlin Hotel operated successfully for 75 years from the military controlled Fort Monroe. The footprint of Fort Monroe grew over the years from the moat surrounded fort to its current foot print covering the entire peninsula. Most of these changes were for security reasons. The arches on the hotel's wide veranda offer views of the James River and Chesapeake Bay that stick in the memory of previous visitors. There are many stories from non military civilians who experienced wonderful vacations in the Chamberlin's ambiance - you can read a touching article in The Free Lance - Star. The events of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 finalized the demise of the Chamberlin. Base security restrictions and cumbersome base access requirements turned away civilian guests. It's ironic that the Chamberlin even survived the squalls from Hurricane Dennis in 1999, which flooded the peninsula by more than two feet of water.

The Chamberlin Viewed from Fort Wall

The hotel is currently under renovation into retirement apartments. As permanent residence, security concerns should be less except for visiting guests. Fort Monroe is scheduled for closure in 2011 based on current Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decisions. It's clear that current renovators are gambling that the BRAC provides relief from previous security concerns. It will be interesting to watch Fort Monroe evolve after the BRAC.