Fort Ward Observer
Volume 1, Issue 1
September 2009
Prepared by J. Glenn Eugster
Introduction
Fort Ward Park was created in 1964 through a collaborative effort between local homeowners, citizens, civic associations, City park and planning department managers and local elected officials. Since its creation support for the park has been shaped by the publics strong interest in the Civil War, Native and African American history, outdoor recreation and the protection of nature and open space. The traditions of civic engagement have brought together neighborhood associations, adjacent landowners, national organizations, churches, schools, and other local groups to work with the City of Alexandria, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the National Park Service to protect and enjoy this 42 acre park.
Over the last three years there have been numerous discussions at all levels of the government and private sector about the City’s past, present and future management and use of the park. Some of the City’s actions and plans have been taken and were developed without basic information on Fort Ward Park, public input, or City and, or, Commonwealth permits. In response to public comments made this year at four City sponsored meetings Alexandria officials are planning a series of actions to examine and shape the future of the park.
The purpose of this report is to provide community interests with information on what is being considered, proposed and undertaken in Fort Ward Park. It is important to note that although I am sharing this information with a broad and diverse group of people, I do not have a mandate to speak for anyone. This information is offered so that you will be informed and, hopefully, engaged in your community, City, and this park. I speak only for myself and those who may think as I do.
Good Things are Happening at Fort Ward Park
In response to public interest in, and comments about, Fort Ward Park the City of Alexandria is taking a variety of actions to address ongoing problems, more effectively manage and assist visitors, and protect the history, culture and natural resources of the park. Specifically the City has taken the following actions:
a. Management of Visitors: This year City staff have been assigned to provide assistance to park visitors to ensure user satisfaction and adherence to City regulations and park permits. City staff, in coordination with the Permits Office and Police Department, have worked to manage past problems related to large crowds, noise, alcohol, and prohibited uses. On weekends and holidays these employees have been especially important in issuing and checking permits, greeting visitors and clarifying appropriate activities and uses of the park. Not only have these City employees put a friendly face on Fort Ward Park but they have managed the use of the park to ensure user satisfaction and safety, park protection, and respect for adjacent landowners. After the major problems of the last two years this improvement in park management by the City is noteworthy and responsive to ongoing public concerns.
b. Recognition of African American Graves Inside the Park: City managers and staff have removed many of the maintenance vehicles, equipment, materials and debris from on top of and nearby known African American graves inside the maintenance yard and nursery area. Temporary fencing and signs have also been posted around known grave sites and headstones within the park to discourage park users and maintenance workers from further damaging these graves.
c. City Funds for Archaeology: As Alexandria officials wrestled with serious budget cuts this year City Council members included $50,000 for this fiscal year to begin archaeology research at Fort Ward Park. The Office of Historic Alexandria is developing a work plan for how the money will be used.
d. Park Improvements: A series of park improvements have been made recently including: relocating the park visitor contact station, refurbishment of the visitor restrooms in the park maintenance building, removal of a deteriorated picnic shelter, upgrading drainage around the Museum, posting park use guidelines and permit information, restoration to the historic gate of the Fort, expansion of the maintenance storage area near the Amphitheater, tree and shrub pruning and removal, and tree and flower plantings.
Unresolved Issues and Concerns
City and community leaders continue to discuss the following park issues and concerns.
a. Continued Impact of Maintenance Yard Activities on Fort Ward Park Graves: Maintenance and nursery vehicles continue to park on and near African American graves. Piles of mulch, equipment, materials and debris continue to be stored in the area that is known to be the site of a African American school, church, residence, and additional graves.
b. Water Runoff and Tree Damage: The expansion of the maintenance yard and nursery area, which was done without City permits and approvals, has caused increased water to runoff into the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. In addition, lands inside and outside the park and cemetery are contributing runoff to the cemetery. The runoff has eroded grave stones and grave sites are subsiding due to these land use changes.
Repairs to a cemetery fence, damaged by fallen park trees blown down in 2008, still need to be completed by the City‘s Recreation Department.
In addition, adjacent homeowners continue to voice concerns about water runoff flowing from the park into the ravine down slope from the cemetery. Construction and landscape debris dumped by the City, along with park trees that have fallen in front of the storm sewer, cause runoff to pond adjacent to nearby homes.
c. Fort Ward Park Action Plan: Earlier this year the City agreed to hold public meetings and accept written comments to help develop an action plan for the management, protection, use and interpretation of Fort Ward Park. Comments made by the public during the City’s meetings in April and March 2009, and written comments that were submitted, have not been used by the City to complete the proposed Action Plan for Fort Ward Park. A draft action plan presented to the public in March 2009 was completed before the end of the comment period and did not include or address written comments from the public, various organizations, and City advisory commissions before it was submitted to City Council.
d. Fort Ward Facility Study & Recommendations: The October 16, 2008 facility study and recommendations for Fort Ward Park was prepared and approved by the City Recreation Department and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission without public input or basic information about the natural, historic and cultural resources which the park was created to protect. Despite ongoing public concern about the study, and the process that was used to develop its recommendations, the document continues to be displayed on the City’s website.
e. Fort Ward Park Site Plans and Permits: Discussions continue about the development of Fort Ward Park outside of the City‘s normal site planning and special use permit approval process. In 1965 the City approved a site plan for the park’s 300 square foot greenhouse located in the maintenance yard. Following that decision the Recreation Department has expanded the use of that area to include a district maintenance yard, a solid waste transfer station, and a storage area for mulch, materials and debris. Each of these expansions was done without public notice, site plan review, special use, solid waste and storm water management permits.
Future Efforts of Note
a. Federal Funds for Fort Ward Park: Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat and senior member of the House Appropriations Committee announced that funds for Fort Ward Park were included in the FY 2010 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill (H.R. 2996). The legislation passed on June 26, 2009. If approved by the Senate, Congress and the President, the bill could provide $75,000 to preserve the Fort Ward Civil War Fort, improve access for the disabled, and update displays to include more recent historical developments in the park's history. The bill will require non-federal matching funds.
b. African American Historical Research: Local historians and community leaders are researching the history of African American occupation of the area that is now Fort Ward Park. A paper is being developed and a series of presentations on this research will be scheduled this fall.
c. Urban Forestry Plan: On Saturday September 12, 2009, at the City Council Public Hearing, there will be a Second Reading and Final Passage of an Ordinance to Adopt Master Plan Amendment No. 2009-0001 of the Urban Forestry Master Plan as a Chapter of the City’s Master Plan. The City-wide Urban Forestry Master Plan includes a recommendation to rededicate Fort Ward Park as the City’s Arboretum. It also suggests that a master plan be developed and adopted for the park. This recommendation reaffirms the City’s earlier commitment in 1983 to create a collection of trees and other woody plants that will serve as an educational resource for City residents and visitors. $25,000 is proposed to go to implement this recommendation. It is unclear how this proposal relates to the City’s other commitments and proposals for the park, and Archeological regulations.
d. Fort Ward Observation Committee: The Friends of Fort Ward, a private non-profit organization that assists the City protect and interpret Fort Ward Park, has created a Park Observation Committee to periodically report to the groups Executive Committee on issues, concerns and activities related to Fort Ward.
e. National Trust for Historic Preservation African American Research Grants: Earlier this year the National Trust for Historic Preservation notified government and civic leaders that they are launching Partnership-in-Scholarship Grants to support collaborative projects between African American Historic Places and college/university scholars.This year, four grants of $15,000 each (no match required) will be awarded in Fall 2009 to projects that help sustain current or attract new audiences at historic sites or enhance the interpretation of challenging topics at historic sites. Eligible projects include:
Improving public access to African American historical and cultural resources at historic places.
Strengthening teaching and education at colleges and universities through historic places.
Promoting research and original scholarship of a significant theme related to African American history and culture to support joint public programs.
Providing opportunities for lifelong learning through a collaborative program.
Strengthening each institution’s humanities programming in order to preserve, enhance, or enjoy significant African American historic places.
The deadline for applications is September 30, 2009.
f. National Park Service and Alexandria, Virginia, Fort Circle Parks Project: Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site is working with the National Park Service, National Capital Region, and other local partners, to raise public awareness and appreciation of the entire Civil War Defenses of Washington. The project is to identify a bike route, using existing trails, that would connect Civil War forts on the Virginia side of the Potomac that have notable remains. The current thinking is that this bike route wouldconnect Fort Ward (Alexandria), Ft. C.F. Smith (Arlington County), Fort Ethan Allen (Arlington County), and Fort Marcy (George Washington Memorial Parkway/Fairfax County).
The purpose of this project, which once was proposed by the Civil War Roundtable in 1954, is to:
Raise public awareness of the remaining Civil War forts, the fact that the greater Civil War Defenses of Washington formed a ring around the capital city, and the role that the forts played during the Civil War; and
Increase bicycling opportunities with a safe, identified bike route.
Inside Alexandria
City news releases, as well as conversations and correspondence with various City staff, local elected officials, Advisory Commission members and citizens have revealed information about actions and activities being discussed for Fort Ward Park.
a. Ad Hoc Advisory Group Established for Fort Ward: On June 23, 2009 the City Council approved Resolution No. 2349 establishing an Ad Hoc Advisory group for Fort Ward Park and Museum Area. The group will consist of ten members, recommended by various existing City advisory commissions, who will work toward a goal of finding an appropriate balance between the different uses of the park, including active, passive/ environmental and historic/ archeological interests. The group will be appointed by the City Manager and will serve for a “limited duration of about a one-year period”.
b. Civil War Celebration: The City is developing it’s effort for the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Sesquicentennial Celebration activities are being planned by the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission, the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Center, and the Office of Historic Alexandria. One meeting of the leadership group was held in June and another meeting planned for later this fall. The City’s plans for the celebration at Fort Ward Park are unclear at this time and it is not certain if the effort will include the proposals for Fort Ward Park and the West End that the West End Business Association and the Friends of Fort Ward developed over the last twelve months.
c. Fort Ward Park History Work Group: In March 2009 the City proposed the creation of a “Fort Ward Park History Work Group”. This is a new work group to document the historic and cultural resources of the park, including its association with American Indians, Civil War fortifications, and the post-war African American community. The work group will assist staff with research and documentation of the historic site, with a specific focus on the heritage of the African American community, known as the Fort, that existed following the Civil War until the mid-20th century when the City of Alexandria acquired the property to preserve the Union fort.
The information gathered by the work group and staff will be used to help the Recreation Department and the Office of Historic Alexandria interpret and protect the Fort’s cultural and historic resources. Participation in the work group is open to all, and participation by descendants of former residents is especially welcome.
After considering various dates over the summer, the City’s plans for the first meeting of the Fort Ward Park History Workgroup continue to be in flux. A meeting date is being discussed by City officials and is likely to be announced in September.
Upcoming September Events
September 7, 2009 [Various Labor Day group events at Fort Ward Park]
September 8, 2009 [City Council Regular Meeting, 7:00 pm, City Hall, Alexandria, VA]
September 10, 2009 [Seminary Hill Association, Inc. Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, Fort Ward Park Museum, Alexandria, VA]
September 12, 2009 [City Council Public Hearing, 9:30 am, City Hall, Alexandria, VA]
September 22, 2009 [Friends of Fort Ward Meeting, 7:00 pm, Fort Ward Museum, Alexandria, VA--rain date is September 29, 2009]
September 22, 2009 [City Council Regular Meeting, 7:00 pm]
September 23, 2009 [Lecture on the Virginia Federal Writer’s Project Guide, 7:30 pm, Lyceum, Alexandria, VA]
September 26, 2009 [Fort Ward Park Civil War Shelter program, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Fort Ward Park]
TBD [Alexandria, Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Celebration Meeting, date, time and location to be announced]
Who is Who at Fort Ward?
Many of us have tried to contact someone at Fort Ward Park about a concern, issue, or opportunity. Often we find it difficult to know who to talk with and what their responsibilities are given the management approach to the park. In March 2009 at the T.C. Williams High School Public Meeting on Fort Ward, the Director of Historic Alexandria and the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities Department told the audience that they were the points of contact for Fort Ward Park. Although Lance Mallamo, of Historic Alexandria, and James Spengler of Parks & Recreation, are the City officials responsible for Fort Ward many other city and group leaders are involved in current and future use, planning and management of the park and museum.
Some of the key contacts include:
Fort Ward Park, Jim Spengler, Director of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities
Fort Ward Park Maintenance & Visitor Services, Walter Powell, Park District Superintendent
Fort Ward Nursery and Arboretum, John Noelle, City Arborist
Alexandria Recreation & Parks Commission, Judy Noritake, Chair
Office of Historic Alexandria, Lance Mallamo, Director
Alexandria Black History Museum, Louis Hicks, Director
Alexandria Archaeology, Pam Cressey, City Archaeologist
Fort Ward Park Museum and Historic Site, Susan Cumbey, Director; Wally Owen, Chief Historian
Fort Ward Park Ad Hoc Advisory Group, Mark Jinks, Deputy City Manager; Lance Mallamo, Director, Office of Historic Alexandria; James Spengler, Director, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Activities Department
Alexandria Archaeology Commission, Kathleen Pepper, Chair
Alexandria Police Department, Hassan Aden, Captain; Officer Troy Boyle
Alexandria Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Ellen Stanton, Chair, Historic Alexandria Historic Resources Commission
Friends of Fort Ward, Bill Schreiner, President
Oakland Baptist Church, Arnold Ambers, Board of Trustees & Community Liaison
Seminary Civil Association, Frances Terrell, President
Seminary Hill Association, Joanne Lepanto, President
West End Business Association, John Porter, President
For Further Information
Contact J. Glenn Eugster to receive more information on the Fort Ward Observer;
be added, or removed, from this mailing list; or,
make contributions to this report in the future.
Please write or call:
By e-mail: glenn_eugster@comcast.net
By telephone: (703)845-8947 (before 9:00 pm)
By mail: 4022 Ellicott Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
Volume 1, Issue 1
September 2009
Prepared by J. Glenn Eugster
Introduction
Fort Ward Park was created in 1964 through a collaborative effort between local homeowners, citizens, civic associations, City park and planning department managers and local elected officials. Since its creation support for the park has been shaped by the publics strong interest in the Civil War, Native and African American history, outdoor recreation and the protection of nature and open space. The traditions of civic engagement have brought together neighborhood associations, adjacent landowners, national organizations, churches, schools, and other local groups to work with the City of Alexandria, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the National Park Service to protect and enjoy this 42 acre park.
Over the last three years there have been numerous discussions at all levels of the government and private sector about the City’s past, present and future management and use of the park. Some of the City’s actions and plans have been taken and were developed without basic information on Fort Ward Park, public input, or City and, or, Commonwealth permits. In response to public comments made this year at four City sponsored meetings Alexandria officials are planning a series of actions to examine and shape the future of the park.
The purpose of this report is to provide community interests with information on what is being considered, proposed and undertaken in Fort Ward Park. It is important to note that although I am sharing this information with a broad and diverse group of people, I do not have a mandate to speak for anyone. This information is offered so that you will be informed and, hopefully, engaged in your community, City, and this park. I speak only for myself and those who may think as I do.
Good Things are Happening at Fort Ward Park
In response to public interest in, and comments about, Fort Ward Park the City of Alexandria is taking a variety of actions to address ongoing problems, more effectively manage and assist visitors, and protect the history, culture and natural resources of the park. Specifically the City has taken the following actions:
a. Management of Visitors: This year City staff have been assigned to provide assistance to park visitors to ensure user satisfaction and adherence to City regulations and park permits. City staff, in coordination with the Permits Office and Police Department, have worked to manage past problems related to large crowds, noise, alcohol, and prohibited uses. On weekends and holidays these employees have been especially important in issuing and checking permits, greeting visitors and clarifying appropriate activities and uses of the park. Not only have these City employees put a friendly face on Fort Ward Park but they have managed the use of the park to ensure user satisfaction and safety, park protection, and respect for adjacent landowners. After the major problems of the last two years this improvement in park management by the City is noteworthy and responsive to ongoing public concerns.
b. Recognition of African American Graves Inside the Park: City managers and staff have removed many of the maintenance vehicles, equipment, materials and debris from on top of and nearby known African American graves inside the maintenance yard and nursery area. Temporary fencing and signs have also been posted around known grave sites and headstones within the park to discourage park users and maintenance workers from further damaging these graves.
c. City Funds for Archaeology: As Alexandria officials wrestled with serious budget cuts this year City Council members included $50,000 for this fiscal year to begin archaeology research at Fort Ward Park. The Office of Historic Alexandria is developing a work plan for how the money will be used.
d. Park Improvements: A series of park improvements have been made recently including: relocating the park visitor contact station, refurbishment of the visitor restrooms in the park maintenance building, removal of a deteriorated picnic shelter, upgrading drainage around the Museum, posting park use guidelines and permit information, restoration to the historic gate of the Fort, expansion of the maintenance storage area near the Amphitheater, tree and shrub pruning and removal, and tree and flower plantings.
Unresolved Issues and Concerns
City and community leaders continue to discuss the following park issues and concerns.
a. Continued Impact of Maintenance Yard Activities on Fort Ward Park Graves: Maintenance and nursery vehicles continue to park on and near African American graves. Piles of mulch, equipment, materials and debris continue to be stored in the area that is known to be the site of a African American school, church, residence, and additional graves.
b. Water Runoff and Tree Damage: The expansion of the maintenance yard and nursery area, which was done without City permits and approvals, has caused increased water to runoff into the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. In addition, lands inside and outside the park and cemetery are contributing runoff to the cemetery. The runoff has eroded grave stones and grave sites are subsiding due to these land use changes.
Repairs to a cemetery fence, damaged by fallen park trees blown down in 2008, still need to be completed by the City‘s Recreation Department.
In addition, adjacent homeowners continue to voice concerns about water runoff flowing from the park into the ravine down slope from the cemetery. Construction and landscape debris dumped by the City, along with park trees that have fallen in front of the storm sewer, cause runoff to pond adjacent to nearby homes.
c. Fort Ward Park Action Plan: Earlier this year the City agreed to hold public meetings and accept written comments to help develop an action plan for the management, protection, use and interpretation of Fort Ward Park. Comments made by the public during the City’s meetings in April and March 2009, and written comments that were submitted, have not been used by the City to complete the proposed Action Plan for Fort Ward Park. A draft action plan presented to the public in March 2009 was completed before the end of the comment period and did not include or address written comments from the public, various organizations, and City advisory commissions before it was submitted to City Council.
d. Fort Ward Facility Study & Recommendations: The October 16, 2008 facility study and recommendations for Fort Ward Park was prepared and approved by the City Recreation Department and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission without public input or basic information about the natural, historic and cultural resources which the park was created to protect. Despite ongoing public concern about the study, and the process that was used to develop its recommendations, the document continues to be displayed on the City’s website.
e. Fort Ward Park Site Plans and Permits: Discussions continue about the development of Fort Ward Park outside of the City‘s normal site planning and special use permit approval process. In 1965 the City approved a site plan for the park’s 300 square foot greenhouse located in the maintenance yard. Following that decision the Recreation Department has expanded the use of that area to include a district maintenance yard, a solid waste transfer station, and a storage area for mulch, materials and debris. Each of these expansions was done without public notice, site plan review, special use, solid waste and storm water management permits.
Future Efforts of Note
a. Federal Funds for Fort Ward Park: Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat and senior member of the House Appropriations Committee announced that funds for Fort Ward Park were included in the FY 2010 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill (H.R. 2996). The legislation passed on June 26, 2009. If approved by the Senate, Congress and the President, the bill could provide $75,000 to preserve the Fort Ward Civil War Fort, improve access for the disabled, and update displays to include more recent historical developments in the park's history. The bill will require non-federal matching funds.
b. African American Historical Research: Local historians and community leaders are researching the history of African American occupation of the area that is now Fort Ward Park. A paper is being developed and a series of presentations on this research will be scheduled this fall.
c. Urban Forestry Plan: On Saturday September 12, 2009, at the City Council Public Hearing, there will be a Second Reading and Final Passage of an Ordinance to Adopt Master Plan Amendment No. 2009-0001 of the Urban Forestry Master Plan as a Chapter of the City’s Master Plan. The City-wide Urban Forestry Master Plan includes a recommendation to rededicate Fort Ward Park as the City’s Arboretum. It also suggests that a master plan be developed and adopted for the park. This recommendation reaffirms the City’s earlier commitment in 1983 to create a collection of trees and other woody plants that will serve as an educational resource for City residents and visitors. $25,000 is proposed to go to implement this recommendation. It is unclear how this proposal relates to the City’s other commitments and proposals for the park, and Archeological regulations.
d. Fort Ward Observation Committee: The Friends of Fort Ward, a private non-profit organization that assists the City protect and interpret Fort Ward Park, has created a Park Observation Committee to periodically report to the groups Executive Committee on issues, concerns and activities related to Fort Ward.
e. National Trust for Historic Preservation African American Research Grants: Earlier this year the National Trust for Historic Preservation notified government and civic leaders that they are launching Partnership-in-Scholarship Grants to support collaborative projects between African American Historic Places and college/university scholars.This year, four grants of $15,000 each (no match required) will be awarded in Fall 2009 to projects that help sustain current or attract new audiences at historic sites or enhance the interpretation of challenging topics at historic sites. Eligible projects include:
Improving public access to African American historical and cultural resources at historic places.
Strengthening teaching and education at colleges and universities through historic places.
Promoting research and original scholarship of a significant theme related to African American history and culture to support joint public programs.
Providing opportunities for lifelong learning through a collaborative program.
Strengthening each institution’s humanities programming in order to preserve, enhance, or enjoy significant African American historic places.
The deadline for applications is September 30, 2009.
f. National Park Service and Alexandria, Virginia, Fort Circle Parks Project: Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site is working with the National Park Service, National Capital Region, and other local partners, to raise public awareness and appreciation of the entire Civil War Defenses of Washington. The project is to identify a bike route, using existing trails, that would connect Civil War forts on the Virginia side of the Potomac that have notable remains. The current thinking is that this bike route wouldconnect Fort Ward (Alexandria), Ft. C.F. Smith (Arlington County), Fort Ethan Allen (Arlington County), and Fort Marcy (George Washington Memorial Parkway/Fairfax County).
The purpose of this project, which once was proposed by the Civil War Roundtable in 1954, is to:
Raise public awareness of the remaining Civil War forts, the fact that the greater Civil War Defenses of Washington formed a ring around the capital city, and the role that the forts played during the Civil War; and
Increase bicycling opportunities with a safe, identified bike route.
Inside Alexandria
City news releases, as well as conversations and correspondence with various City staff, local elected officials, Advisory Commission members and citizens have revealed information about actions and activities being discussed for Fort Ward Park.
a. Ad Hoc Advisory Group Established for Fort Ward: On June 23, 2009 the City Council approved Resolution No. 2349 establishing an Ad Hoc Advisory group for Fort Ward Park and Museum Area. The group will consist of ten members, recommended by various existing City advisory commissions, who will work toward a goal of finding an appropriate balance between the different uses of the park, including active, passive/ environmental and historic/ archeological interests. The group will be appointed by the City Manager and will serve for a “limited duration of about a one-year period”.
b. Civil War Celebration: The City is developing it’s effort for the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Sesquicentennial Celebration activities are being planned by the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission, the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Center, and the Office of Historic Alexandria. One meeting of the leadership group was held in June and another meeting planned for later this fall. The City’s plans for the celebration at Fort Ward Park are unclear at this time and it is not certain if the effort will include the proposals for Fort Ward Park and the West End that the West End Business Association and the Friends of Fort Ward developed over the last twelve months.
c. Fort Ward Park History Work Group: In March 2009 the City proposed the creation of a “Fort Ward Park History Work Group”. This is a new work group to document the historic and cultural resources of the park, including its association with American Indians, Civil War fortifications, and the post-war African American community. The work group will assist staff with research and documentation of the historic site, with a specific focus on the heritage of the African American community, known as the Fort, that existed following the Civil War until the mid-20th century when the City of Alexandria acquired the property to preserve the Union fort.
The information gathered by the work group and staff will be used to help the Recreation Department and the Office of Historic Alexandria interpret and protect the Fort’s cultural and historic resources. Participation in the work group is open to all, and participation by descendants of former residents is especially welcome.
After considering various dates over the summer, the City’s plans for the first meeting of the Fort Ward Park History Workgroup continue to be in flux. A meeting date is being discussed by City officials and is likely to be announced in September.
Upcoming September Events
September 7, 2009 [Various Labor Day group events at Fort Ward Park]
September 8, 2009 [City Council Regular Meeting, 7:00 pm, City Hall, Alexandria, VA]
September 10, 2009 [Seminary Hill Association, Inc. Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, Fort Ward Park Museum, Alexandria, VA]
September 12, 2009 [City Council Public Hearing, 9:30 am, City Hall, Alexandria, VA]
September 22, 2009 [Friends of Fort Ward Meeting, 7:00 pm, Fort Ward Museum, Alexandria, VA--rain date is September 29, 2009]
September 22, 2009 [City Council Regular Meeting, 7:00 pm]
September 23, 2009 [Lecture on the Virginia Federal Writer’s Project Guide, 7:30 pm, Lyceum, Alexandria, VA]
September 26, 2009 [Fort Ward Park Civil War Shelter program, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Fort Ward Park]
TBD [Alexandria, Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Celebration Meeting, date, time and location to be announced]
Who is Who at Fort Ward?
Many of us have tried to contact someone at Fort Ward Park about a concern, issue, or opportunity. Often we find it difficult to know who to talk with and what their responsibilities are given the management approach to the park. In March 2009 at the T.C. Williams High School Public Meeting on Fort Ward, the Director of Historic Alexandria and the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities Department told the audience that they were the points of contact for Fort Ward Park. Although Lance Mallamo, of Historic Alexandria, and James Spengler of Parks & Recreation, are the City officials responsible for Fort Ward many other city and group leaders are involved in current and future use, planning and management of the park and museum.
Some of the key contacts include:
Fort Ward Park, Jim Spengler, Director of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities
Fort Ward Park Maintenance & Visitor Services, Walter Powell, Park District Superintendent
Fort Ward Nursery and Arboretum, John Noelle, City Arborist
Alexandria Recreation & Parks Commission, Judy Noritake, Chair
Office of Historic Alexandria, Lance Mallamo, Director
Alexandria Black History Museum, Louis Hicks, Director
Alexandria Archaeology, Pam Cressey, City Archaeologist
Fort Ward Park Museum and Historic Site, Susan Cumbey, Director; Wally Owen, Chief Historian
Fort Ward Park Ad Hoc Advisory Group, Mark Jinks, Deputy City Manager; Lance Mallamo, Director, Office of Historic Alexandria; James Spengler, Director, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Activities Department
Alexandria Archaeology Commission, Kathleen Pepper, Chair
Alexandria Police Department, Hassan Aden, Captain; Officer Troy Boyle
Alexandria Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Ellen Stanton, Chair, Historic Alexandria Historic Resources Commission
Friends of Fort Ward, Bill Schreiner, President
Oakland Baptist Church, Arnold Ambers, Board of Trustees & Community Liaison
Seminary Civil Association, Frances Terrell, President
Seminary Hill Association, Joanne Lepanto, President
West End Business Association, John Porter, President
For Further Information
Contact J. Glenn Eugster to receive more information on the Fort Ward Observer;
be added, or removed, from this mailing list; or,
make contributions to this report in the future.
Please write or call:
By e-mail: glenn_eugster@comcast.net
By telephone: (703)845-8947 (before 9:00 pm)
By mail: 4022 Ellicott Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
