GN1 FILE PHOTO.
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
After a roughly two year hiatus the Fort Williams Restoration Commission had a special-called meeting to discuss a variety of agenda items concerning Glasgow’s Civil War fortalice including a proposed three day event in September, the continuation of restoration and improving visitor signage and amenities.
During the hour-long meeting Joe Austin, the commission’s chairperson, relayed to those present that the 9th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, a Civil War reenactment group based out of Murfreesboro, planned to make a three day visit to Fort Williams on Sept. 13-15.
“The mayor and I met [with the reenactment representative] at the fort a couple of weeks ago and he was thrilled to death,” Sam Terry, another commission member, said. “They’re all volunteers…Fort Williams is not an appropriate place for a reenactment. We don’t have the space and it’s in the middle of the cemetery so they are doing a living history focused on education.”
Terry said the company “will be encamped” up at the fort in tents for those days and periodically give presentations on a variety of topics.
“So you might have a presentation about weapons, cannons, clothing of the period, food, that sort of thing.”
While the public is invited to attend on either Sept. 14 or 15, Terry said Sept. 13 will be reserved for students from the various schools.
The volunteers provide this “living history” free of charge but Terry said donations are accepted. He also said publicity of this event is up to the commission and the suggestion was made to potentially decorate the Glasgow Public Square with time appropriate and vintage decorations; a suggestion that was positively received by the commission member.
“Great family opportunity,” Terry said.
“It’d just be another way of saying welcome by having that going on,” Glasgow Mayor Henry Royse added.
In the same vein of “saying welcome” especially to those visiting the fort, the commission also discussed “visitor amenity improvement.”
“One of the things I see when we get comments, particularly online, people aren’t sure what to do,” Terry said. “What I would like to see us work towards is creating appropriate signage to direct people on where to go.”
One thing Terry mentioned was the brown and gold historical marker that explains the history of the fort. By virtue of the sign’s placement and its disrepair, Terry said, the sign was virtually unreadable. He suggested it be moved somewhere nearer to the fort.
“[The sign is’] behind a guardrail; next to the railroad; next to the turn in,” Terry said. “The plan with those historical markers from their inception was they would be put in a place where a motorist could pull off and read it but if you did that there you might be killed. Nobody’s going to read that marker…so I have contacted the Kentucky Historical Society Marker Program and requested that the sign be refurbished…and I’ve also started the process to ask if they’d move it.”
The discussion also turned to the parking situation, which Royse said the “very talented street department” could assist in stripping the asphalt pad currently there.
All of these visitor amenities were discussed due to the views and comments received through the Fort Williams Google report. According to the report 51 people were directed to Glasgow’s website, 2,163 people viewed the fort’s Google webpage and Fort Williams appeared in 752 Civil War history searches.
“It’s amazing,” Terry said. “People think that Fort Williams is this sleepy place on a hill in a cemetery, but just on Google searched for January there were 212 people who asked for directions to Fort Williams.”
“When we all go up there we look at [the fort] with Glasgow eyes but you have to change your thought and go up there thinking ‘I’ve never seen this place before,’” Terry added.
The commission also discussed a continuation of the currently underway restoration of the fence. Austin said the south wall was the priority as it is in the worst shape but provided estimates for repairs for other sides as well. According to the estimates provided by Austin the total cost would be $5,231.22 though they decided the “north side of the fort west of the gate” was in alright shape which subtracted $311.04.
Terry explained the restoration was borne by volunteers, church groups, vocational school classes and inmates. Royse added that the street department could help as well. Austin said he hoped the posts would go up in early March.
Royse said all these things: the signage, the parking, the restoration and the event were aimed at making Fort Williams, and Glasgow in general, a more inviting place for visitors to come to and make their trek worthwhile.
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