Antiquities Act, to be used for Fort Monroe, has deep roots in Hampton Roads

When President Obama designates part of Fort Monroe as a national monument Tuesday, it won't be the first time a prominent piece of Hampton Roads real estate has had its destiny transformed by the stroke of a presidential pen.

Using the powers conferred by the Antiquities Act of 1906, President Herbert Hoover created Colonial National Monument in 1930, linking parts of Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg into a protected federal preserve that became Colonial National Historical Park in 1936.

The only difference between the two presidential proclamations is that — instead of taking a leading role — Hoover merely followed up on previous congressional legislation....