Welcome to Let's Learn at Fort Monroe.

Today we're going back in time, but not to save the clock tower.

We're here to learn about the Old Main Barracks building.

Back in 1879, the Old Main Barracks building was built to replace seven temporary barracks to house the U.S.

military.

Now, this building is actually seen changes not only on the inside, but on the outside throughout history.

Originally constructed with only two stories in the wings and three stories in the center, the third story was added in 1900, and in 1938 the rear wing was added.

Now, during these constructions, the original wooden porches were replaced with brick and metal like we still have today.

This building on the outside retains a lot of that work, like an original 1880 Seth Thomas clock that sits inside the clock tower and still operates to this day.

But we'll approach that in an upcoming video.

In 1955, the Army renovated the inside of the building to fill it with offices, which have been updated since.

The building also faces the parade ground, which is a very important historical site in Fort Monroe.

At the Fort Monroe Authority, we take the necessary steps to preserve the Old Main Barracks building and the clock inside.

Thanks to our wonderful volunteers, the clock is wound weekly, so the time on the clock face is usually only a couple minutes off at most.

Thank you for watching this episode of Let's Learn at Fort Monroe.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can join me in the next episode.