NORFOLK, Va. — I recently visited Fort Norfolk and got the tour from Steven Forrest, a Fort Norfolk Historian with the Norfolk Historical Society.
"Fort Norfolk is one of the most unique forts in the country," Forrest said. "It's one of the most well-preserved forts from the War of 1812."
Originally constructed in 1794 and rebuilt in 1808 to protect the harbor from the British, Fort Norfolk played a key role in the Battle of Craney Island. The British attacked with a force of 4000 men versus just 700 on the U.S. side.
"It's the first joint service operation that I'm aware of, in United States military history, because we have the Navy, the Army and the militia, all involved in one battle," Forrest said. "That's every service we had in the United States at the time."
With a clear line of sight across the Elizabeth River, Fort Norfolk was the command and control center for the Battle of Craney Island.
"They had agreed on a series of flag signals to tell the men on Craney Island what to do," Forrest told me. "If they just saw an American flag up the flagpole, they were to stand and fight. But if they saw a different series of flags on the flagpole, it meant they were either supposed to retreat or that reinforcements on the way."
"During the battle, it's estimated that the British lost 200 men they were either captured, killed, wounded, or deserted," he said. "The United States forces did not lose a single man during the battle. This is a huge victory for the United States."
Fort Norfolk is located on Front Street in Norfolk, VA. Admission is free. Visitors must have a valid federal or state-issued photo ID card to access the fort.
The Norfolk Historical Society does offer guided tours of the fort as well as several other events surrounding Norfolk's history.
