History, and this list, are about preservation of the past for instruction of future generations. Fortress Monroe is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is unique in Virginia for its completeness, its preservation, its history and its associations. Each of the four National Register criteria can be argued for it. That is not usual at all. In this case, the often maligned Federal Government has taken an interest in this property not only for it's original purpose, for which it might be expected, but which has not always happened, to maintain the facility. It has given it membership on the NRHP as a significant part of Virginia and the nation's history. I find it extremely annoying that the objections boil down to fiscal expenditure as in: "Dad-burned Federal Gummint" should not spend our tax dollars when the private sector should do it. Developers are salivating at the prospect of turning the whole thing into a gated community at worst case. My father's generation had a statement that: "You can't put a bum in a good house and make a gentleman of him" and that same generation also had the phrases "All style and no substance" and "Money does not equal taste". The unalloyed reliance upon "who has the most money wins" is exactly what Kevin Hardwick so eloquently argued against in his post. Despite the failings of federal and state bureaucracies in the eyes of some, these agencies are not completely staffed with idiots. It is their job to recognize outstanding examples of our past and to ensure as much as possible that future generations will have the benefit of them. Fortress Monroe has long held that distinction. Fort Monroe was made a National Historic Landmark in 1960 way before there were the national laws requiring consideration of effect on significant properties. It was added to the NRHP in 1966 and to the Virginia Register in 1969. It is the legal responsibility of the various agencies to take into consideration effects in a reasoned manner before irreversible steps are taken. To me, this is a clearcut case that Fortress Monroe is a part of the common wealth of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Cutting it up for a one- time profit is certainly not. Municipal assistance in such a short- sighted venture is nothing more than living off ill-gotten gains from prostitution, to phrase it indelicately but undeniably accurately. Lyle Browning ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html