This large fort was established in 1941 as an Army training facility, as part of the general US preparation in case the wars in Europe and Asia spilled out to involve America, and was named after Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill, a noted Confederate commander. The fort's base grounds includes land once used by the Army as the New London Arsenal, an Army depot for arms and powder in the early days of the USA.


During its first year, Fort A.P Hill was a maneuver area for the II Corps and three activated National Guard Divisions, and in its second year the fort was the staging area for Major General Patton's Task Force A, preparing for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Axis-occupied French Morocco in North Africa. As the war developed, Fort A.P. Hill was used for training many corps and division-sized troops, and starting in 1944 became a field exercise area for officer candidates.


During the Korean War and early days of the Cold War, the fort was redesignated Camp AP Hill, and used to stage units deploying to Europe. During the Vietnam War, it was used as a super center for Engineer Officer Candidate School Training. Today, Fort A.P Hill is used year-round for military joint and combined training for all branches of the Armed Forces and many US allies.


From the early 1980s to the late 2000s Fort AP Hill was also used by the Boy Scouts of America for many of its National Jamborees, but they have since developed their own permanent camp.