Fort Nelson
Fort Nelson is a historic site in Virginia, at a modelled elevation of 2 m. Baines Hill stands 20 m to the southwest, 25 miles off. The nearest named place is Crawford Levee Park, a park less than a tenth of a mile away. Colonial Parkway passes 29 miles off. 5 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
Fort Nelson was a fort located on Hospital Point in Portsmouth, Virginia, which is currently the site of the Portsmouth Naval Hospital. The fort was named for Thomas Nelson Jr., governor of Virginia in 1781. It and Fort Norfolk were built to guard the Elizabeth River, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth and the Gosport Navy Yard. The fort was originally built by patriot forces with funding from the Virginia government in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, but destroyed when the British occupied the area in 1779. A British map shows that they rebuilt the fort by 1781. Following the Revolution, the fort was again rebuilt in 1794 under the first system of US fortifications, was garrisoned in the War of 1812, but was demolished in 1827 to make room for the naval hospital. The fort was again rebuilt by Confederate forces in 1861, but the Confederates evacuated the area in May 1862 and the fort was eventually demolished.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1776.
Wikidata Q21015982, matched on coordinates and name (803 m apart).
What the record says
- Inscription
- Department of Historic Resources, 1997
What to expect
- Operated by
- Virginia Department of Historic Resources
How to reach it
- 29.1 mi off the Colonial Parkway, National
- 29.1 mi off the Lafayette's Tour
Named places within 25 miles
- Crawford Levee Park: 0.0 mi
- Greenwich Square Park: 0.2 mi
- Glasgow Street Park: 0.2 mi
- Swimming Point Conservancy: 0.2 mi
- Middle Street Park: 0.2 mi
- LOVE: 0.1 mi
- Armed Forces Memorial: 0.5 mi
- Waterwork: 0.6 mi
- Homecoming: 0.6 mi
- Revolutionary War Cannons: 0.6 mi
- Arnold's British Defenses, 1781: 0.0 mi
- Cornwalis at Portsmouth: 0.0 mi
- Spanish American War 1898-1902: 0.2 mi
- U.S. Lightship 101: 0.4 mi
- Anchor;USS Antietam Anchor: 0.6 mi
- Friendship Courtyard: 0.4 mi
- Fred Heutte Center: 1.5 mi
- White House Memorial Garden: 2.2 mi
- ZooFarm Garden: 2.9 mi
- Shade Garden: 2.9 mi
- Hill House Museum: 0.2 mi
- Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center: 0.3 mi
- Portsmouth Lightship Museum: 0.4 mi
- Children's Museum of Virginia: 0.4 mi
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum: 0.4 mi
- Archway: 0.3 mi
- Fresnel Lens from Hog Island Light: 0.5 mi
- USS Norfolk Bell: 0.7 mi
- Pokey Smokey II: 3.8 mi
- F/A-18: 5.7 mi
- Weyanoke Bird and Wildflower Sanctuary: 2.3 mi
- Camp Moonya: 6.4 mi
- Chesapeake Arboretum: 7.7 mi
- Cavalier: 11.9 mi
- Long Leaf Pine Enhancement: 14.6 mi
- Needle Beach: 0.1 mi
- Willoughby Beach: 8.4 mi
- Chix Beach: 10.9 mi
- Sylvan Beach: 11.8 mi
- Outlook Beach: 11.9 mi
- Boushs Bluff: 4.1 mi
- Mintonville Point: 14.3 mi
- Brock Point: 14.9 mi
- Muskrat Bluff: 15.5 mi
- Holly Point: 17.4 mi
- Mount Trashmore: 9.8 mi
- Encore Hill: 10.1 mi
- Knob Hill: 15.0 mi
- White Hill: 15.8 mi
- Baines Hill: 24.7 mi
- Picnic Shelter #3: 6.8 mi
- Picnic Shelter #1: 6.9 mi
- Picnic Benches: 23.3 mi
- Picnic Benches: 23.3 mi
- Keeper's House: 11.2 mi
- Old Point Comfort Lighthouse: 11.2 mi
- Old Cape Henry Lighthouse: 17.3 mi
- Cape Henry Lighthouse: 17.3 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Fort Nelson. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baines Hill | SW 222° | 20 m | 24.7 mi |
| Mount Trashmore | E 94° | 18 m | 9.8 mi |
| White Hill | ENE 74° | 10 m | 15.8 mi |
| Knob Hill | WSW 258° | 8 m | 15.0 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 18:43 | 19:17 |
| June solstice | 05:47 | 19:50 | 20:28 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:30 | 19:04 |
| December solstice | 07:15 | 16:13 | 16:53 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 41 | 43 | 49 | 59 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 72 | 62 | 51 | 44 |
| Precip in | 3.6 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Norfolk S, 5 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element node/6029247740
Take the scenic way to Fort Nelson.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.