History
Rip Raps was originally built in 1817 as part of the harbor defenses to provide a setting on the south side of the navigation channel for Fort Wool (originally named Fort Calhoun), the companion to Fort Monroe (on the northern side of the channel) in protecting access to Hampton Roads and the inland rivers which are tributaries. Fort Wool was decommissioned after World War II.
President Andrew Jackson used it as a retreat, visiting between August 19, 1829 through August 16, 1835.
Rip Raps is located adjacent to one of the unnamed man-made islands of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, which was initially completed and opened to traffic in 1957. However, Rip Raps and Fort Wool are accessible to the public only by water via harbor tours.
Note: The availability of public tours of both Fort Wool and Fort Monroe are subject to Homeland Security Alert conditions.
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)