Preservation Virginia's 2009 List of Endangered Historic Places. April 23, 2009

From: "Robert Nieweg"
To: "glenn eugster" , atwashin@aol.com, awashington@washingtontimes.com, fulton-oleary@verizon.net
Cc: "Maureen Redington"
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 12:35:40 PM
Subject: RE: Fort Ward Park

Dear Glenn, Tom, and Adrienne:

I was surprised and disappointed on April 22nd to learn that you have decided not to nominate historic Fort Ward to Preservation Virginia's 2009 list of endangered historic places in Virginia.  I thought we had set our way forward on April 9th, during our meeting at Fort Ward with the Civil War Preservation Trust, and that the nomination would be drafted by Adrienne and signed by her and other descendents of post-war Fort Ward residents. 

Preservation Virginia's endangered places program is a ready and reliable way to elevate a local matter, like the City's proposal for Fort Ward, to become a statewide issue, and thereby increase much-needed public awareness, public support, and political pressure.  (See the application at http://www.preservationvirginia.org/calendar/endangered_sites_2009.php.)  Preservation Virginia, which was established in 1889, is a stable and respected organization -- and a good ally. 

Listing on the nonprofit Preservation Virginia's endangered list, which is a public relations tool, would not jeopardize Fort Ward's listing on the National Register of Historic Places, as the leader of the Friends of Fort Ward mistakenly believes.  (See attached for federal regulations regarding removal of properties from the National Register.)  On the other hand, if implemented, the City's proposed physical and operational changes to Fort Ward could jeopardize the fort's listing on the National Register if Fort Ward were to "cease to meet the criteria for listing in the National Register because the qualities which caused it to be originally listed have been lost or destroyed[.]"  36 CFR 60.15(a)(1). 

As I understand it, you and your allies have two important goals:  You seek to stop the City's new initiative to transform the Park into a high-traffic picnic ground, a change which would adversely impact the historic site and its neighbors.  You also seek to reverse 50 years of the City's mistreatment and neglect of highly sensitive historic and cultural resources within the Park which are associated with the local African-American community that was well-established at Fort Ward after the Civil War.  

To accomplish your goals, I recommend that you and your allies now use the imminent threat of the adverse physical and operational changes by the City to the Park and Fort in order to raise awareness and galvanize support for the more complex and nuanced effort -- which the City and the Friends of Fort Ward must be persuaded to embrace -- to remedy the City's long-standing failure to preserve and interpret the full story of this historic place.  If the imminent threat should pass before you secure a remedy for the City's entrenched policy toward African-American heritage at Fort Ward, an opportunity will have been missed.

Bill Schreiner, on behalf of the Friends of Fort Ward, wrote to you, Glenn, that Fort Ward is viewed as the "best preserved of all the Fort Circle defenses of Washington and the only one that is actively interpreted through a museum."  With all respect to Mr. Schreiner and the Friends, it seems to me that Fort Ward is not a model of success when the City now plans to convert the Park and Fort into a corporate special event site and given that the City has never preserved and interpreted the fort’s full heritage. 

There’s plenty of scholarship to establish the national importance of the Contraband and Freedmen's history the City of Alexandria has forgotten at Fort Ward: 

“Beginning in 1861, and continuing throughout the war, whenever the proximity of Union troops made successful escape likely, slaves abandoned their plantations by the hundreds, even the thousands.  The process of successful slave escapes began in Virginia, in Union-held territory across the Potomac from Washington and around FortMonroe at the tip of the Virginia Peninsula in Hampton Roads. … The slaves, by running away in massive numbers, were freeing themselves.”  -- Prof. Robert F. Engs,University of Pennsylvania

“From the first guns at Fort Sumter, the strongest advocates of emancipation were the slaves themselves.  Lacking political standing or public voice, forbidden access to the weapons of war, slaves nevertheless tossed aside the grand pronouncements of Lincoln and other Union leaders that the sectional conflict was only a war for national unity. Instead, they moved directly to put their own freedom – and that of their posterity – atop the national agenda.  Steadily, as opportunities arose, slaves risked all for freedom. By abandoning their owners, coming uninvited into Union lines, and offering their assistance as laborers, pioneers, guides, and spies, slaves forced federal soldiers at the lowest level to recognize their importance to the Union’s success.  That understanding quickly travelled up the chain of command.  In time, it became evident even to the most obtuse federal commanders that every slave who crossed into Union lines was a double gain: one subtracted from the Confederacy and one added to the Union.  The slaves’ resolute determination to secure their liberty converted many white Americans to the view that the security of the Union depended upon the destruction of slavery.  Eventually, this belief tipped the balance in favor of freedom, even among those who had little interest in the question of slavery and no love for black people. … No one was more responsible for smashing the shackles of slavery than the slaves themselves.” -- Prof. Ira Berlin, University of Maryland

I encourage you to reconsider your decision regarding the Preservation Virginia endangered list.  The deadline is April 24th at 5 pm. 

Thanks in advance for considering my views on this matter. 

Best regards,

-- Rob 

Rob Nieweg

Director and Regional Attorney

Southern Field Office

National Trust for Historic Preservation

1785 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

202-588-6223 (fax)

202-588-6107 (phone)

---

From: glenn_eugster@comcast.net [mailto:glenn_eugster@comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 5:58 PM
To: Robert Nieweg
Subject: Fort Ward Park

Dear Rob,

I promised to get back to you to follow-up on our conversation earlier this month.  We met this Saturday to discuss the application for Threatened Landmark status for Fort Ward Park and once again I met resistance from the people that I need to keep our effort alive.  The leader of the Friends of Fort Ward Park feels that it would be harmful for us to pursue this designation at this time given some of the movement we are seeing in the City now.  He also feels that we could jeopardize the park listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  He is willing to reconsider this position in Feb. 2010 if the City doesn't solve some of these problems.  Unfortunately a number of other key leaders echoed his feelings.  Their support is crucial to anything we do and we must be unified in our decisions to succeed.

Recently we have seen the following take place in the City.

1.  Kirk Kincannon the Recreation Dept. chief has left to work in CO.  His deputy Roger Blakeley has been significant restrained due to some racist remarks he made in writing about the graves.  Kirk is being replaced, temporarily by Rich Baier who is more wordly in the ways of working with the public.  We are arranging a walk and talk tour with Rich as soon as next week.

2.  The City has reorganized their management of Departments and they have placed the park portion of the Recreation Dept., along with transportation & Environment, Planning and Zonning, and the Office of Historic Alexandria, under the direction of the Deputy City Manager Mark Jinks.  Tom Fulton and I met with Mr. Jinks and he was positive about the work that needs to be done.  Mr. Jinks assured us that the entire maintenance yard would be emptied as soon as possible.  He believes that Rich Baier will give these problems priority attention.

3.  A number of people made another request to the Mayor and City Council to add money in the 2010 budget, which starts in July 2009, for Ft. Ward Park.  We will know on Saturday what, if anything, they have done.

4.  Congressman Moran has proposed $200,000 in federal funds for Ft. Ward Park as an earmark for 2010.

5.  Several local papers have written about the graves and Lance Mallamo has been interviewed by reporters.  The attention has been good so far.

When we met we sketched out the following draft action plan for the community effort.  We would still like to work with you but the timing isn't right for the application we discussed.  Please let me know if you might be able to participate in the ceremony we are organizing on Clara Adams birthday on June 2, 2009.  Clara is the lady that is buried, with her husband, in the middle of the maintenance yard with the prominent tombstone.

Thanks again for your interest, expertise and assistance.

Sincerely,

Glenn

Glenn Eugster

DRAFT Tasks of Importance (Not in priority order)

1. Keep the pressure on the City to solve Fort Ward Park problems. If we don’t have progress by February 2010 we will apply to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for Threatened Landmarks Status.

2. The Friends of Fort Ward park will send a letter to the City expressing concern about the City’s management of the park. The letter will identify measures of progress that need to be accomplished.(Bill Schreiner)

a. Identify measures of progress to include in the Friends of Fort Ward Park letter to the City.(All send ideas to Bill)

3. Meet with Rich Baier of the City Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities Department. Meeting will include a walking tour of the park.(Glenn Eugster to initiate request)

4. Develop a Memorandum of Agreement between the Museum, Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities Department and the Arboretum about the management and maintenance of Fort Ward Park. (???)

5. Develop a new mission statement for Fort Ward Park. (Susan Cumbey)

6. Respond to the April 14, 2009 reports to the City Council from Kincannon, Mallamo and Noritake. (All)

7. Hold a local coffee with the Fort Ward Park neighborhoods in the Fall to share information and strengthen communication (Dave Cavanaugh and Tom Fulton)

8. Submit nominations, including Elizabeth Douglas, Sgt. Young, etc., for the Ben Brenman Award (Dave Cavanaugh)

9. Pursue the proposed Save America’s Treasures Grant with Congressman Moran and the City Manager (Debbie Weatherly & Susan Cumbey)

10. Seek funds to provide the opportunity for Adrienne Washington to serve as a community liaison and researcher with the families that are related to people buried in Fort Ward Park (All)

11. Participate in the June 2, 2009 memorial event for Clara Adams (Glenn Eugster & Adrienne Washington)

12. Develop a proposal for a 2009 Fort Ward Family Reunion (All)