Hampton, VA – Chesapeake Conservancy is the proud recipient of a 2024 Chesapeake Gateways grant to support, protect and showcase the natural, cultural, recreational and historical significance of the Phoebus Main Street District, Fort Monroe and the City of Hampton. The $150,000 in grant funding, made possible by National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways, will be used to establish the Phoebus-Fort Monroe Coalition and craft a strategic framework to guide the coalition.

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The land that is now present-day Phoebus, Fort Monroe and Hampton, Virginia has always been interconnected. Indigenous People for time immemorial dwelled in the expanse while farming and hunting. The area’s strategic advantage at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, with its many tributaries, made the waterways valuable for travel, trade and war. With the arrival of the Europeans and Africans in the early 1600s, the area has undergone numerous name changes: Tsenacomoco, Point Comfort and Elizabeth City to name a few. Nevertheless, the area’s many neighborhoods and landmarks are intertwined with centuries of history and culture.

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Over the past several years, the Phoebus Partnership, Fort Monroe Authority and the City of Hampton have worked informally to capture the rich history, culture and attractions of Phoebus and Fort Monroe. With support from a Chesapeake Gateways grant, the creation of the Phoebus-Fort Monroe Coalition will unite stakeholders across the locality to capture and celebrate this area’s rich cultural history, ensure the community’s heritage is preserved and provide positive impacts to the local community.

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“Chesapeake Conservancy is eager to help explore, preserve and showcase the vast historical, cultural and natural resources of Phoebus and Fort Monroe,” said Michael Augustin, communications and outreach specialist for Chesapeake Conservancy. “This is a collaborative effort that involves various stakeholders, leaders, community groups and more. We’re thankful for the involvement of the Phoebus Partnership, Fort Monroe Authority and the City of Hampton to help build momentum for a coalition and forge a path towards community collaboration and storytelling.”

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“Phoebus is thrilled to take part in this important collaboration with the Chesapeake Conservancy to celebrate and preserve our unique history and natural environment. From this community’s beginnings as the Native village of Kikotan to its role in the Civil War as a pivotal Union position and one of the earliest freedmen’s communities in the South, Phoebus has always been proud and resilient,” stated Joe Griffith, Virginia Main Street manager for the Phoebus Partnership. “Through the Phoebus-Fort Monroe Coalition, we aim to protect our powerful and diverse shared heritage while safeguarding the Chesapeake Bay’s natural resources, encouraging sustainable development that benefits our community and honors its legacy.”

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“These two National Historic Landmark Districts are deeply attached by their common history from pre-Colonial times, slavery, the American Civil War, the unraveling of slavery and more modern military history to each other,” said John Reynolds, member of the Fort Monroe Authority Board of Trustees.  “This opportunity to create a dynamic partnership between the two historic sites and their constituencies is a gift to the future for the people of our nation, Commonwealth of Virginia and the region.”

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“The City of Hampton is proud to support the creation of the Phoebus-Fort Monroe Coalition, a testament to the power of local partnerships. This initiative will lay the foundation for future collaborations to showcase the full breadth of the American experience, offering residents and visitors additional opportunities to engage through recreation, historic sites and interpretive events throughout Fort Monroe and Phoebus,” stated Jonathan McBride, housing and neighborhood services division manager for the City of Hampton. “By bringing together organizations, communities and institutions, we are creating new opportunities to preserve and celebrate our shared history and natural environment. This coalition will foster deeper understanding, stronger connections and lasting outcomes that will benefit Hampton, the region and generations to come.”

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The National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Office (NPS Chesapeake Gateways) offers competitive grant opportunities to advance the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 within the full 41-million-acre Chesapeake Bay watershed. Chesapeake Gateways grants bring out familiar, untold, under-appreciated, or yet-to-be uncovered narratives and promote resilient communities and landscapes through tourism, sustainability, conservation and local economies throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

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Contact Michael Augustin at maugustin@chesapeakeconservancy.org for more information on the RFP to select a facilitator to lead this effort.

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Feature Photo by Michael Weiss