Fort Nelson, Colonial fortification in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Fort Nelson was a fortification in Portsmouth designed to control the Elizabeth River and defend Norfolk and surrounding settlements. The structure was built from timber and rammed earth, capable of housing around 150 soldiers in its garrison.

Virginia authorities built the fort in 1776 at the start of the Revolutionary War to protect waterways from British attack. During the Civil War, it was briefly rebuilt but soon abandoned and ultimately demolished.

The fort was named for Thomas Nelson Jr., governor of Virginia in 1781. The Fort Nelson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution takes its name from the fort, and Fort Nelson Park, opened in 2006 south of the hospital property, commemorates it with naval guns and other nautical items.

The site is located at Hospital Point and was later developed into a naval medical facility, affecting current access. Visitors should know that little of the original fortification remains physically visible today.

Confederate forces briefly rebuilt the structure during the Civil War before abandoning it within a year. This episode shows how different military periods marked the same location before its final destruction.