OLD POINT COMFORT

(Sally Here. This is a fabulous entry that comes at the end if their honeymoon trip. Her descriptions of Old Point Comfort, Hampton and Fort Monroe is amazing. At the bottom of this description is a web site showing some great old photos of these areas.)

“September 22^nd, 1911. I wakened at day break this morning and looked out hurriedly to see where we were. The sea was rough and we were certainly passing boats for we were nearing Old Point Comfort. After dressing we packed up once more and went on deck to watch the landing. It was not hard to tell we were in the south for quantities of colored porters were shouting and calling in every direction. It was 7:30 when we landed and too early for breakfast so we checked out things at the station and aimlessly took a trolley. A talkative southerner told us that between Old Point and New Port News was Hampton Institute. This was a pleasure we had not expected and after a hurried breakfast in New Port News at the worst restaurant you could imagine we went down to the ship yards and then back to Hampton. The ground was very poor and ill kept around these places and weeds were allowed to grow everywhere. At Hampton however we met a surprise for everything was in perfect order and lawns and gardens were truly southern in beauty. A boy from the school took us around and in every part of the immense plant we were impressed with its completeness and with the marks of student industry. There were 300 there for the summer work and about 850 were accommodated during the winter. After spending an hour here we walked back over the bridge to a little old church built in 1680 and never completely destroyed. A typical old southerner met us with his “Goo Mawnin Jedge” and led us to an old tomb stone bearing the date Nov. 31. “You see sah,” he said, “Cook has nebber been able to show de Norf Pole but I kin pove dey is 31 days in November.” Then he took us around the church and gathered a bunch of lovely pink roses and a small buttonhole for Alfred. His courtesy reminds one of “Chad” in F. Hopkinson Smith’s books. Twice the interior of the church had been destroyed and just now they were rebuilding according to the old Dutch plan. We took a carriage here for Fort Monroe and the driver told us much of interest as we went back. Crepe Myrtle, Pomegranate, and live oaks were interesting new trees. We wandered about the fort and the fortress for an hour or so and then returned to the Hotel Chamberlin for dinner. This hotel is an immense one built on Govt. land and with the understanding that at 24 hrs notice the U. S. can begin destroying it. After dinner we took a boat to Norfolk and arrived there at 7. We changed to the Old Dominion line for New York. This would mean almost 24 hrs on the water, ten of which were out of sight of land. I was anxious for a roller and we waited on deck until after ten but felt none so went to our room for the second night on the ocean.”

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/parktour/pointcomforthotel.html