Discussions to be held on Fort Monroe

HAMPTON, Va. (AP) - The National Park Service is holding two public meetings to discuss planning for the Fort Monroe National Monument.

The two-hour meetings will be held Monday afternoon and evening for the public to weigh in on the historic fort's future.

The park service is working with the Fort Monroe Authority and the city of Hampton to discuss plans for the new national monument.

Fort Monroe was the third-oldest U.S. Army post in continuous active service until it closed last September. President Barack Obama proclaimed a significant portion of it a national monument in November.

Dutch traders first brought enslaved Africans to the fort in 1619. During the Civil War it became a place where escaped slaves could find refuge. Confederate President Jefferson Davis also was imprisoned there after the war.