Although Fort Nelson itself never saw conflict, it was garrisoned during the War of 1812. An elongated chain was stretched from Fort Norfolk to Fort Nelson in order to prevent the British fleet from attacking Gosport Navy Yard, Norfolk, and/or Portsmouth. In the main action of the war in the Norfolk area, the British were repulsed in the Battle of Craney Island and did not enter Norfolk. However, they proceeded up Chesapeake Bay to burn Washington, D.C. and unsuccessfully attack Baltimore, as there were no forts guarding the mouth of the bay at the time. This led to the building of Fort Monroe beginning in the 1820s, to close the bay to enemy vessels. This made the Elizabeth River forts obsolete. Fort Nelson was abandoned in 1824 and torn down in 1827 to make room for the naval hospital; reportedly much of the fort's brick was re-used in building the hospital.