Fort Ward & Seminary Families Partnership
Draft January 21, 2011
Outline for the Wednesday January ??, 2011 meeting with Lance Mallamo of the Office of Historic Alexandria.
The Fort Ward Park Advisory Group’s approval of Fort Ward Park Report sets the stage for continuing public and private work to identify and protect this part of Alexandria‘s heritage.
Proposal
We propose that our Society and the City work together to meet our mutual interests. We’d like to work with you to develop a “partnership agreement” that will briefly describe:
1. Our mutual goals and objectives;
2. Cooperative activities;
3. Roles and responsibilities;
4. Initial tasks (I.e. Fort Ward Families Data Base, etc.);
5. Information ownership, rights and recognition;
6. Schedule; and
7. Contacts and liaisons.
After working with the City for many years we believe that this approach will:
* Be more time and cost-effective.
* Result in higher quality research to base City decisions on.
* Increase support and cooperation from the African American descendant families.
* Help the City and Society leverage non-City funds and services.
* More effectively identify, protect, interpret and enjoy historical, cultural and archaeological artifacts, graves, sites, stories, etc.
Rationale
Early on, In March 2009, Lance Mallamo said to many of the interests and descendant family members at TC Williams H.S., “History is about people. This is your story”.
Since then, at some of the Fort Ward History Work Group Meetings Lance Mallamo and Pam Cressey have said,
“I can’t get to it [Fort Ward Park Historical and Cultural Inventory]”. Pam Cressey, June 22, 2010.
“You [Fort Ward History Work Group] have far outperformed what we expected”. “We would love to see the group take off”. Lance Mallamo, July 10, 2010.
“If something in the written record indicates a burial ground we will research it”. Lance Mallamo, August 24, 2010.
The Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society
As a result of discussions with the Fort Ward Park Advisory Group and History Work Group, and the Oakland Baptist Church, members of the Fort Ward and Seminary African American descendant families decided to form a 501(c) (3) group to gather information to help the City and the Church with work in the park and cemetery. The purpose of the Society is to:
We describe, interpret, protect and celebrate the living legacy of African Americans who contributed to the defenses of Washington, D.C. at Fort Ward in an effort to win their own freedom which has led to a more perfect Union.
The primary goal is to share the history of African Americans in order to describe the role they played and the contributions they made during the Civil War at Fort Ward and in helping to create the Seminary community. African Americans were crucial to the war effort; and that the war is best understood not just as a military phenomenon, but as a social and political one as well.
The hope is to assist the public with researching and ultimately gaining pride in connecting with their ancestor's personal story and their fight to make America a better country through their service.
The Society members and partner organizations expect to conduct, perform, and undertake any of the following activities:
To conduct oral histories involving families living near the historic Oakland Baptist Church and historic Fort Ward in Alexandria, Virginia.
To conduct local research on the people and events that shaped the community near the Virginia Theological Seminary during and after the Civil War.
To locate and ensure protection of artifacts and memorabilia used in exhibits.
To produce and present, independently or in concert with the City of Alexandria, other organizations or individuals, pamphlets brochures and theatrical productions dramatizing the African American experience before, during and after the Civil War period.
To assist the City of Alexandria in creating and implementing an interpretation plan for the Fort Ward Museum that recognizes the importance of African Americans before, during and after the Civil War.
To assist the City of Alexandria in producing theatrical presentations that dramatizes the African American experience in a thoughtful and meaningful way.
To solicit gifts and donations from private individuals, businesses, foundations, and governmental entities in support of one or more of the purposes or activities of the Corporation.
To collect fees: from admission to performances, from lectures, and workshops; and to do these and all other legal things necessary to carry out and fulfill the stated purposes of the Corporation.
To apply for designation on the National Register of Historic Places for the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery.
To redesign and replace the gate and fence to the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery.
To secure funds for a bench or benches for the cemetery and other family grave sites in Fort Ward Park.
To secure private funds for a high school art project.
Next Steps
1. Hold a facilitated discussion, either as a joint meeting or a series of interviews, to identify the elements of the partnership agreement.
Draft January 21, 2011
Outline for the Wednesday January ??, 2011 meeting with Lance Mallamo of the Office of Historic Alexandria.
The Fort Ward Park Advisory Group’s approval of Fort Ward Park Report sets the stage for continuing public and private work to identify and protect this part of Alexandria‘s heritage.
Proposal
We propose that our Society and the City work together to meet our mutual interests. We’d like to work with you to develop a “partnership agreement” that will briefly describe:
1. Our mutual goals and objectives;
2. Cooperative activities;
3. Roles and responsibilities;
4. Initial tasks (I.e. Fort Ward Families Data Base, etc.);
5. Information ownership, rights and recognition;
6. Schedule; and
7. Contacts and liaisons.
After working with the City for many years we believe that this approach will:
* Be more time and cost-effective.
* Result in higher quality research to base City decisions on.
* Increase support and cooperation from the African American descendant families.
* Help the City and Society leverage non-City funds and services.
* More effectively identify, protect, interpret and enjoy historical, cultural and archaeological artifacts, graves, sites, stories, etc.
Rationale
Early on, In March 2009, Lance Mallamo said to many of the interests and descendant family members at TC Williams H.S., “History is about people. This is your story”.
Since then, at some of the Fort Ward History Work Group Meetings Lance Mallamo and Pam Cressey have said,
“I can’t get to it [Fort Ward Park Historical and Cultural Inventory]”. Pam Cressey, June 22, 2010.
“You [Fort Ward History Work Group] have far outperformed what we expected”. “We would love to see the group take off”. Lance Mallamo, July 10, 2010.
“If something in the written record indicates a burial ground we will research it”. Lance Mallamo, August 24, 2010.
The Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society
As a result of discussions with the Fort Ward Park Advisory Group and History Work Group, and the Oakland Baptist Church, members of the Fort Ward and Seminary African American descendant families decided to form a 501(c) (3) group to gather information to help the City and the Church with work in the park and cemetery. The purpose of the Society is to:
We describe, interpret, protect and celebrate the living legacy of African Americans who contributed to the defenses of Washington, D.C. at Fort Ward in an effort to win their own freedom which has led to a more perfect Union.
The primary goal is to share the history of African Americans in order to describe the role they played and the contributions they made during the Civil War at Fort Ward and in helping to create the Seminary community. African Americans were crucial to the war effort; and that the war is best understood not just as a military phenomenon, but as a social and political one as well.
The hope is to assist the public with researching and ultimately gaining pride in connecting with their ancestor's personal story and their fight to make America a better country through their service.
The Society members and partner organizations expect to conduct, perform, and undertake any of the following activities:
To conduct oral histories involving families living near the historic Oakland Baptist Church and historic Fort Ward in Alexandria, Virginia.
To conduct local research on the people and events that shaped the community near the Virginia Theological Seminary during and after the Civil War.
To locate and ensure protection of artifacts and memorabilia used in exhibits.
To produce and present, independently or in concert with the City of Alexandria, other organizations or individuals, pamphlets brochures and theatrical productions dramatizing the African American experience before, during and after the Civil War period.
To assist the City of Alexandria in creating and implementing an interpretation plan for the Fort Ward Museum that recognizes the importance of African Americans before, during and after the Civil War.
To assist the City of Alexandria in producing theatrical presentations that dramatizes the African American experience in a thoughtful and meaningful way.
To solicit gifts and donations from private individuals, businesses, foundations, and governmental entities in support of one or more of the purposes or activities of the Corporation.
To collect fees: from admission to performances, from lectures, and workshops; and to do these and all other legal things necessary to carry out and fulfill the stated purposes of the Corporation.
To apply for designation on the National Register of Historic Places for the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery.
To redesign and replace the gate and fence to the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery.
To secure funds for a bench or benches for the cemetery and other family grave sites in Fort Ward Park.
To secure private funds for a high school art project.
Next Steps
1. Hold a facilitated discussion, either as a joint meeting or a series of interviews, to identify the elements of the partnership agreement.
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