Letter: Restoring Fort Ward
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
To the Editor:
We appreciate the feature about the Defenses of Washington and in particular, Fort Ward. However, it incorrectly states that Fort Ward was reconstructed in the "1970s in advance of America's centennial celebration." In fact, it was acquired and restored by the City of Alexandria in the early 1960s to commemorate the Civil War centennial.
In 1961, to commemorate the Civil War Centennial, the City of Alexandria undertook the partial restoration and preservation of Fort Ward. An archaeologist and historian were hired to ensure that the project was completed according to professional standards. The Northwest Bastion was selected for restoration while the extant walls were preserved. The archaeological field work continued through 1962, when the actual restoration work began. The goal was to utilize authentic material to return the Northwest Bastion of the fort to its 1864 appearance, including the cannons. The weapons were manufactured based upon the 1864 table of armament for the fort. The fort, museum and park opened to the public on May 30, 1964. The U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission recognized the City for outstanding achievement for its restoration of Fort War. Fort Ward has been cited as the best Civil War restoration/preservation project in the mid-Atlantic region, as well as the flagship of the Defenses of Washington.
Amy Bertsch
Office of Historic Alexandria
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