Fort Ward Headquarters Building

History/Narrative Related to the Fort Ward Headquarters Building
(Commonly referred to as The Maintenance Building)

When the City constructed the reproduction Union Army buildings at Fort Ward, the Headquarters Building (HQ) was part of the overall interpretive plan. The front of the HQ building served as public restrooms and the rear portion as office space for the park superintendent and his staff, who were responsible for the overall maintenance of the park, as well as, the Restored Northwest Bastion. The entire complex was under the administration of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

In the mid-1970s a re-organization within the Recreation Department removed the maintenance crew from Fort Ward and incorporated them into roving crews centralized on South Quaker Lane. The HQ building space then became just a storage space, but was also used by the park security guard who was assigned to the museum staff.

In the mid-1980s all of the City-owned museums were moved to the Department of General Services, and subsequently to the Office of Historic Alexandria. This move included the Fort Ward Historic Area and Museum. Everything in the area on the inside of the park road was designated as the Historic Area and everything outside of the park road, with the exception of the outlying gun battery and north rifle trench, remained under the control of the Recreation Department. However, since the park security person who was removed from the museum staff, used the HQ building, the Recreation Department continued to use the space as storage.

By the late 80s, the Headquarters Building was much underutilized with basically junk stored in the space. The Museum was able to use a small portion of the space for the storage of museum exhibit furniture. After a disastrous freeze and broken water pipes due to no one ordering fuel for the furnace, the museum director assumed the responsibility for monitoring the fuel supply, ordering and completing the Payment Vouchers. The museum staff also monitored the working of the furnace, restroom repairs, painting of the building as well as other maintenance issues. The City also added the park restrooms to the Museum custodial contract.

In approximately 1993-94, a meeting was held with Deputy City Manager, Beverly Steele, Jean T. Federico, Director of OHA, Moses Simmons, Deputy Director of Recreation and Parks, and Wanda Dowell, Director of Fort Ward Museum concerning the control of the Headquarters Building. After discussion, the Deputy City Manager directed that since the building was in the Historic Area, it more appropriately should belong to OHA, and that the Museum would have the space. Mr. Simmons agreed but requested that Recreation maintain a small office in the building for the park security person until they could construct a new building which they planned within the confines of the maintenance yard on the east side of the park. He stated that the request was to be placed in the CIP Budget (probably either 1996-97). This new building would better serve their needs and replace a deteriorated trailer that was being used by the landscape crew and would have space for the park security person as well as other staff that might be assigned there. When this new maintenance building was completed, the entire space would revert to the museum. This arrangement was agreed to by both Ms. Steele and Ms. Federico and was implemented.

The Headquarters Building is part of the Civil War interpretive genre of Fort Ward and was definitely placed under the control of OHA in this agreement. Unfortunately those who were party to the agreement are no longer with the City, but this by no means should give the Recreation Department the impression that the building belongs to that department.