Friends’ and Parks Bureau

Dedicate Reopening of Fort Powder Magazine

dedication

A space dedicated to providing the explosive power for massive cannons which once ringed the Fort Knox State Historic site, was reopened to the public, Saturday, May 12th. In a dedication ceremony marking the reopening of a key powder magazine for public viewing, Friends’ of Fort Knox Board Chair, Carol Weston and Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands Director, Will Harris, cut a red ribbon marking the occasion. The Friends funded the restoration project that cost in excess of $28,000 and was completed earlier this year. A State parks official noted that the powder magazine had been closed to the public for fifty years due to safety concerns.

The restoration project involved the removal of decayed wood throughout the magazine and reconstruction. An original wood wall, from original construction in the mid-1860s, was able to be retained during the restoration project. Electricity was brought into the powder magazine to illuminate it for public viewing.

newmag

Interpretive materials line the restored powder magazine and include replica gunpowder barrels, ammunition boxes, cannon balls, before and after project photos and interpretive plaques. Maine Historic Site Specialist, Tom Desjardin, was responsible for the development of the interpretive plaques for the powder magazine.

The powder magazine would have stored gunpowder for the massive Rodman cannons, 24-pound flank howitzer cannons and rifles. Soldiers would have had to be very careful when entering the magazine to ensure an errant spark form a belt buckle or shoes did not ignite the powder. Ordinance manuals from the period had exacting standards that were to be employed to prevent gunpowder explosions.

The Fort Knox State Historic site and Penobscot Narrows Observatory are open each day, starting at 9 AM, up to and including Halloween. The Friends of Fort Knox sponsor numerous special events throughout the season and a list of the happenings may be found on their web site fortknox.maineguide.com

Fort Knox becomes first privatized state park

By Tanya Mitchell | Apr 17, 2012

Leon garden

Photo by: Tanya Mitchell Fort Knox Executive Director Leon Seymour tends to the educational garden beds outside the visitors center Monday, April 16. As part of the new lease agreement between the Friends of Fort Knox and the Maine Department of Conservation's Bureau of Parks and Lands, FOFK will be in charge of taking care of the grounds at the historic site.

Prospect — Fort Knox Executive Director Leon Seymour likens a lease agreement between the nonprofit group Friends of Fort Knox and the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands to those that commonly exist between a tenant and a landlord.

"Our view is that the state Department of Conservation Bureau of Parks and Lands still has the ultimate responsibility to take care of this property," said Seymour Monday, April 16.

For the last several years, Seymour said, FOFK has honored a contract with the bureau that calls for the local organization to take on tasks the state typically handles at other state parks. Those tasks have included fee collection, providing interpretive tours, staffing the gift shop, completing the bookkeeping, tracking park attendance, conducting special events, handling all marketing and undertaking restoration projects.

"Now what we'll be doing is tending the grounds and insuring that all state park rules are adhered to," said Seymour. Seymour said as is the case with a tenant-landlord arrangement, the state still retains ownership of the property and would be responsible for any major needs at the historic site. "We will continue to work in partnership with them on various projects and we will actively seek their participation," Seymour said.

The back-story

While FOFK has taken on more of the day-to-day operations at the fort in recent years, Seymour said the lease agreement was not something that FOFK actively pursued. "It began with a conversation with Representative Michael Celli," said Seymour. Celli, R—Brewer, who formerly served as the chairman of the FOFK Board of Directors, had previously submitted a bill aimed at transferring management of the park over to FOFK, but the Legislature rejected that bill in 2009."In the late fall of 2010 there was some discussion with the top representatives in the incoming administration about [Celli's] desire to do this again," said Seymour.

Seymour and members of the FOFK Board continued discussions with bureau officials about the possibilities for additional management responsibilities, and those talks continued through all of 2011.The FOFK board formally voted to accept the lease agreement April 3, and officials with DOC and the bureau have since signed the document as well. The term of the lease, according to the agreement, is from Sunday, April 15, 2012, and will remain in effect until Dec. 31, 2015.

Bureau Director Will Harris said the agreement does no more than add a couple more layers to the responsibilities FOFK has already taken over in recent years. "The Friends have already taken over a lot of the work there; the collection of admission fees, giving tours of the fort, running the gift shop, as well as raising money for the fort," said Harris. The yearlong discussions between FOFK and the bureau, said Harris, helped the parties arrive at the terms of the lease agreement that took effect Sunday. "I think this is the best we can do for both sides," said Harris.

The first of its kind

While the agreement has made Fort Knox State Park and Historic Site the first privatized state park in Maine, Seymour said it's not the first time the state has turned property over to other groups and entities.

"The Friends of Montpellier were given the Knox Mansion," said Seymour of the organization charged with operating the General Henry Knox Museum in Thomaston. Another example, said Seymour, is the management of Lake George Regional Park in Skowhegan by the Lake George Corporation. In that case, Land For Maine's Future and DOC provided the funding to purchase the land for the day-use park, according to the LGRP website, and the state-owned land is leased through an inter-local agreement that includes the towns of Skowhegan and Canaan. In Richmond, Seymour said, the state turned over the duties of overseeing the public's recreational use of Peacock Beach State Park to the host town. According to the bureau's website, the town of Richmond took on that responsibility in May 2010.

Harris said in the case of Peacock Beach, the state employed two people to help operate a park that was largely used by residents of the town. Under the arrangement with the town, Harris said the local recreation department took over the day-to-day duties. The deal the bureau forged with FOFK, said Harris, differs due to its size and scope. "This is a bigger operation that is much more publicly used," noted Harris.

Another difference with the arrangement between the bureau and FOFK, said Seymour, is that FOFK is a nonprofit organization. That said, Seymour and Harris both stated there are no intentions on the part of FOFK to change any of the existing rules or fee structures. And since FOFK has done so much to make structural improvements to the fort and enhance the educational value for its visitors over the last two decades, Harris said the bureau was willing to make an exception when entering into the agreement. "That's why we thought this might be something worth taking a chance on," said Harris. "Normally we would not be leasing out state parks. This is a unique situation involving a private group."

A working arrangement

An upside to the lease agreement, Harris said, is no state staff will lose their jobs as a result of its existence. Tom Moore, who Harris said served as the chief operations manager at the fort on the state payroll last year, will return to serve as the park's operation manager for FOFK this season, and Seymour said another staffer will be hired to help Moore.

Since the agreement was being discussed through the 2011 season, Harris said all staff hired last season was placed on the payroll in an acting capacity. One of the state employees who worked at Fort Knox last season has since been promoted to serve as manager of another state park, and another was reassigned to fill a position at a different state park.

Overall, Seymour said the site will employ between 16 and 18 part-time staff in addition to himself and a part-time seasonal administrative assistant. And aside from keeping local people working, there is an additional positive that Seymour said would make life easier for the park staff, and by extension, visitors.

"The beauty of this is, even though we worked very well with the local staff here, is now we'll be able to integrate all staff functions," said Seymour. "There's going to be a lot of cross-training." That means if an employee who normally mans the gift shop is out sick for a day or two, all other park staffers will have the training they need to step into that role. The same goes for the staff at the entrance gate, the visitor's center and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory, an attraction that is under the ownership of the Maine Department of Transportation but uses park staff for its every day operations.

To that end, Seymour said the bureau has done all it can to make the training go as smoothly as possible. "The bureau has been extremely helpful putting together information about the day-to-day operations at the fort," Seymour said.

Under the terms of the lease, FOFK will now be able to keep 85 percent of all gross admissions revenue aside from season passes. Each season pass admission that exceeds 10 percent of the total annual admissions will return $3 to the state. That differs from what has been the case in past years, Harris said. FOFK formerly split admissions income with the bureau, 50-50, with FOFK keeping its share for continued improvements to the fort and the bureau's share going into the state's general fund.

"That percentage increase will help the Friends cover paying for staff for the maintenance operations," said Harris. Under the new arrangement, Harris said the state could save up to $40,000 this season, a figure that depends on 2012 park attendance. But with the mild weather already showing up in the Pine Tree State, Harris hopes visitor numbers — which last season totaled about 69,000 — will be on the rise." We're hoping for at least that many this year," said Harris.

The fort, in the future

Special events like Fright at the Fort, the annual Medieval Tournaments, the Paranormal and Psychic Faire and Pirate Days will continue at the historic site, but Seymour said locals should expect to see some diversity in the programs each year. "We're doing a tribute to Elton John concert here in July," said Seymour. "Some people say some events that have been held here seem inappropriate, but we'll have to do what's popular... These kinds of special events attract a diverse group of people, and you just can't do the same thing weekend after weekend."

Harris said the bureau also sees the value of keeping the fort experience fresh, whether someone has visited once or 100 times. "We've encouraged the Friends to talk a lot about continuing to do things like re-enactments and other activities to help keep the interest up, and keep the attendance up," Harris said.

In some cases, Seymour said paranormal programs held at the fort have helped to start some pop-culture trends like the widespread fascination with ghosts and extraterrestrial life, evidenced by shows that now routinely air on the SyFy and History channels. "When we were first doing it, it wasn't being shown on the History Channel," said Seymour.

These days, the fort is the regular stomping ground of East Coast Ghost Trackers, a local group that donates its time and offers guided ghost tours for $10 per participant, all in the name of supporting the fort. This year, Seymour said diehard ghost hunters will have the chance to join the cast of the SyFy Channel's Ghost Hunters, thanks to the help of a special event company out of Massachusetts.

Weddings, company parties, family reunions and other gatherings are also welcome at the fort. "We've already got four weddings booked for this year," said Seymour. FOFK also plans to continue planting educational gardens all around the grounds, which Seymour said have produced potatoes, tomatoes and gourds, just to name a few items.

And with the new lease agreement in place, Seymour said he hopes it will allow FOFK more flexibility in terms of responding to requests from various local groups to use the site for a wide range of purposes. Seymour also hopes to have the fort open for next year's spring school vacation, something he said he'd like to do annually. "We'll still be operating within the rules, but we hope to be able to respond a little more quickly to opportunities that present themselves," he said.

Now, Seymour said FOFK will consider enhancements such as additional picnic tables, benches and barbecue grills, and the group is now in negotiations with MDOT to increase the amount of time the state illuminates the neighboring Penobscot Narrows Bridge. "Now, the bridge is illuminated from July until Labor Day," said Seymour. "It's an $85 million bridge, why do we want it in the dark? "FOFK wants the lights to come on for the first day of summer in June and remain illuminated through Halloween to coincide with the park's season. Tuesday morning, MDOT spokesman Ted Talbot said the department would keep the bridge lights on for the additional time because FOFK agreed to pay the state the extra $500 cost of doing so.

At the end of the day, though, Seymour said the aim of FOFK is, and has always been, the continued restoration and preservation of the site. "The board is fully aware of how important Fort Knox is to the local community and the state. People here have been coming to the fort for generations," he said. "We take our new responsibility very, very seriously and we will continue to care for the fort as we always have."

Building a local attraction, and a partnership

FOFK was officially formed in 1991 with the goal of addressing needs at the aging fort, which at that time had reached critical condition.

During his interview with The Journal Monday, Seymour looked back at all the local organization has done since then to reopen portions of the structure that had been closed to the public for years.

In 1995, the group worked with the bureau to come up with a three-phase action plan to complete roof repairs within a two-year timeframe, and by 1996, FOFK had played a major role in the passage of a $1 million bond to help cover the costs of the repairs. FOFK raised $314,759 in private donations to support the project, according to the timeline posted on the Fort Knox website.

In 1997, FOFK opened the site's first gift shop, and in 1998, the organization worked with the bureau to develop plans for what is now the visitor center, a structure that once served as the fort's torpedo shed. That project alone, Seymour said, cost nearly $1 million to complete.

In 1999, FOFK hired Seymour as the first full time executive director, the same year the work began on the visitor center. In 2000, a website dedicated to the happenings at the historic site, as well as its lengthy history, went live.

Turning into the new century, FOFK did anything but lose momentum. In June 2000, the group sponsored a season-long series of special events, the pre-cursor for the modern favorites such as Fright at the Fort, which Seymour said drew about 9,000 people last October.

By March 2001, FOFK and the bureau signed on to a formal partnership agreement.

In 2001, the new gift shop was opened, as was the visitor center, which was immediately filled with interpretive panels containing dates and facts about the fort's history as well as artifacts that were found on the grounds over the years. In 2002, the visitor center grew to include a multimedia system to be used for educational programs.

April 2003 brought the first management contract between FOFK and the bureau, which Seymour said included the collection of gate fees on behalf of the state.

In the summer of 2003, FOFK added interpretive panels throughout the fort grounds as a way to offer self-guided tours, and in September of that same year, volunteers completed the re-pointing work at the Battery B hotshot furnace. In 2004, the long-closed officer's quarters were reopened to the public with the help of FOFK.

As the years went on, Seymour said, FOFK pressed on with its mission, completing the restoration of the Battery A powder magazine roof in 2005, illuminating the exterior of the fort in 2006 and restored four 24-pound flank howitzer cannons and carriages that are original to the fort. A masonry program was established to continue repairing the brickwork at the site, which resulted in the reopening of the enlisted men's quarters in 2008. That part of the fort had been closed for the previous 20 years due to safety concerns. FOFK went on to rebuild a nearly collapsed wall at Battery B and last summer, the organization launched plans for the restoration of the northern interior fort powder magazine, which is set to reopen next month.

"That really represents the last closed piece of the fort," Seymour said.

Reporter Tanya Mitchell can be reached at 338-3333 or at tmitchell@villagesoup.com.

Click here for Fort Knox Clean-up Day, April 21st Video

MDOT Outlines Plans to Demolish Waldo-Hancock Bridge

by Joy Hollowell WABI-TV 5- February 28th 2012

Prospect, Verona Island

For 81 years, it has linked Prospect and Verona Island.
But this September, the Waldo-Hancock bridge will start being torn down
It's a process that's expected to take about nine months.

"Basically the bridge will come down the same way it went up, but in the opposite type of orientation " says Douglas Coombs, Assistant Project Manager for the Maine Department of Transportation. "The deck will be dropped down to waiting barges below. They'll be cut apart and then dropped either from support cables using the bridge itself, or from cranes mounted on barges in the water."

After the deck is dismantled, the main support cables will come down. Then, it's on to the two towers.

"We will be supporting the main tower structures. We're working with a consultant that has done several of these types of projects throughout the U.S. and basically all over the world," says Coombs.

Safety will be a top priority, according to Coombs, not only for workers, but also travelers on the bridge and below.

"We are working with the Coast Guard on developing plans for all of the navigation traffic that's going to be in the Penobscot during that time," he explains.

Some of the old landmark will remain, including the two cement water piers as well as the abutments. Plans are in place to put back the old bridge plaques as well as panels depicting what once was.

The Waldo-Hancock bridge hasn't been used since the Penobscot Narrows bridge opened at the end of 2006.

As for why it took so long to get to this point, Coombs says it came down to finding $7,500,000 in the budget.

"We were waiting for different fundings to come in for the project, and now the project is funded."
Coombs says the state will start advertising for bids in mid-June. They expect work to start around September 1st and be completed by the middle of June 2013.

Two 45-foot flag poles on top of each tower will be donated to the towns of Verona Island and Prospect and a portion of the bridge itself will be given to Bucksport to be used on the walking trail.

Coombs says there are no major traffic problems anticipated during the bridge demolition.

As for where all that scrap metal will end up, Coombs says it has not yet been determined.

The total length of the Waldo-Hancock County bridge is 2,040 feet. The main portion of the bridge between the two towers spans 800 feet. It opened to the public in November of 1931, and closed in December of 2006.

The archaeology of Fort Knox

Elisabeth Messer

Portland Archaeology Examiner

Need a place to go this summer that’s both fun, educational, and lets you wander everywhere? You might want to check out Fort Knox. Sure it’s a bit of a jaunt from Portland, but it’s absolutely worth it. Not only do they have activities there (as well as a gift shop and guided tours, if that’s your thing), but the Friends of Fort Knox have been having archaeological schools for a few years digging up the history of Knox.

The fort, located in Prospect Maine, is one of the largest stone forts built during the Civil War. It was built to protect the Penobscot River and Bangor, Maine from a river attack between 1844 and 1864, but was never finished.

According to the Maine.gov website, it is New England’s “finest unmodified specimen of military architecture of that period.”

Equipped with two batteries (each facing the river to defend from both sides) that fired several types of cannons, the fort would’ve made an impressive defense. Part of the intrigue of Fort Knox comes with two hot-shot furnaces that were used to heat up the cannons before firing them at ships. Unfortunately the furnaces became obsolete as soon as wooden ships ceased being built, but to this day they stand as a stubborn reminder of warfare.

But enough about the history, what about the unique archaeological finds that this school has uncovered? One of the school sessions was lead by historical archaeologist Peter Morrison (a few years back). Morrison had a hunch about one of the areas in the fort, thinking that it had once been a black smithy while the fort was under construction. With this in mind, he lead two schools (each a week long) to excavate certain areas. What they found was interesting in two ways because they found two sets of artifacts.

In the first set of artifacts they found Crown glass (a type of glass made in the 1700’s) and bits of ceramic tableware (cups, plates and saucers). According to Morrison, “these would have been old pieces of ceramics by the time the fort was being built. This all hints that this was a residence from the late 1700s to the early 1800s.”

Apparently the fort was built on top of several farm houses, this site being one of those, so this finding wasn’t too surprising.

The second set of artifacts would’ve been more up Morrison’s alley. They included “railroad spikes, an iron pin, wedges and half-rounds or feathers used to cut granite, a piece of iron nail stock used to make nails and two padlocks,” all of which are pretty common finds for a smithy.

The artifacts were well cared for by the school and the Friends of Fort Knox planned on having other schools opened up for other amateur archaeologists to help uncover more history of the fort.

So if you want a place to go that’s ripe with history, knowledge and the possibility of being in on uncovering some of Maine’s Civil War past, Fort Knox is where you want to be.

Fright at the Fort 2011

Fright at the Fort Returns Friday Night for 12th Year

by Diana Bosch - October 21st 2011 09:19pm

Prospect - If you're one of the brave souls who chooses to go to Fright at the Fort, be prepared for some spooky suprises because you never know what might be hanging around. "Fright is never the same two nights in a row. Volunteers will portray different creatures different nights." Leon Seymour calls himself the "twisted" mastermind behind the event. "Kids a lot of times build model cars of planes, I was building monsters but as a kid I built model monsters like the werewolf, Phantom of the Opera and Frankenstein." He created fright at the fort 12 years ago and his team of creative ghouls and volunteers have been stirring up scary adventures ever since. Guests are lead down a spooky tour of the fort in groups of fifteen. It's fun for all ages, but Seymour says be careful with the little ones. "If your child likes horror movies and does well they're probably going to be okay but if watching Bambi is disturbing it's probably not the event for them." And if there's one creature that sends chills down people's spines, veteran fright volunteer Jeremy Sawyer says it's clowns. "Hands down is Clowns, probably the most, biggest thing I've done that's had the biggest turnaround." Proceeds from Fright at the Fort help Fort Knox fundraise various projects throughout the year. Sawyer says it's a sweet treat that makes the scaring well worth it. "Just good memories and as I'm having a good time I know all the money is going towards the Fort and helping people rebuild it." Fright at the Fort kicks off Friday, October 21st at 5:30. It'll run until 9 pm, and it starts back up again Saturday. If you can't make it this weekend, you can go next Friday and Saturday. It starts at 5:30 both days Admission is five dollars. For more information visit fortknox.maineguide.com

Restoration of Fort Knox Magazine Powder Underway

by Wayne Harvey - June 20th 2011 01:51pm

Prospect - "We believe this was constructed probably around 1863," said Leon Seymour the Executive Director of Friends of Fort Knox.

Past the caution tape, and behind this door, is where the project really starts to take shape, down the walkway in a damp, dark room.

"We're restoring a powder magazine that's been closed for decades to the public," said Seymour. "As you look around, you can see massive wood deterioration that's been created by moisture over the years."

According to Seymour they're finding little pieces of history with every board that's removed, from the cover of an old nail bucket, to a tool used to move granite blocks into place. "There are features here you won't find very many places. There are little wooden covers that went over nail holes. They were very concerned about any kind of spark happening in here because of the vast amounts of black powder. People that came in or soldiers that came in to deal with the powder were made to wear cloth on their shoes because they were afraid of even a spark being kicked off by nails in their shoes, so they took security of this place very seriously."

The restoration should take about three weeks. They're trying to save materials to be used again, but a lot has been damaged by moisture.

The completed project will include lights and replicas of black powder barrels.

"I think this is an integral part for how the Fort would have operated because this is where the charges would have been loaded and then brought out to the canons," said Seymour. "A Rodman Canon could take as much as 100 pounds of black powder, so that's an enormous amount of firepower, so we think it's an important interpretive piece of the Fort that will be opened to the public."
The room should be open to visitors later this summer.

Click Here for Ghost Hunter Episode on Fort Knox

‘Ghost Hunter’ show finds unexplained activity at Fort Knox

By Rich Hewitt, BDN Staff

PROSPECT, Maine — The results are in.

“This place has some serious activity going on.”

That was the “reveal” Wednesday night on the SyFy Channel’s “Ghost Hunter” show that featured the investigation of Fort Knox back in February.

“They definitely believe it’s haunted,” said Leon Seymour, executive director of the Friends of Fort Knox, who was featured on the show giving the “Ghost Hunter” crew a quick tour of the fort.

About 50 people gathered at the Bucksport Golf Club to watch the show on a big-screen TV.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said, adding that the locals got a chuckle from the crew’s complaining about the cold and how they felt as if they were out in the “wilderness.”

The show’s stars, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, and co-star Amy Bruni roamed the 19th century stone fort with high-tech equipment searching for evidence of paranormal activity.

The ghost hunters didn’t see any ghostly figures in any of the areas where they investigated, but they did pick up some unexplained readings on their instruments. In Long Alley, where there have been reports of ghost sightings, there was a strange anomaly on their thermal imaging camera that they could not explain. And something broke through the laser grid that they had set up. They also heard some “crazy breathing.”

“It sounds like it’s right next to me,’’ Hawes said from the darkened alley “It sounds like it’s coming closer and closer.”

Near the cannon mounts, the crew also heard loud footsteps when there was no one there.

While there were no spooktacular apparitions during the show, being featured on the popular SyFy Channel show definitely conjured up some interest in Fort Knox.

According to Seymour, the Friends’ website got 951 hits by midnight Wednesday and another 270 by late Thursday afternoon, coming from all over the country. This time of year, the site usually gets about 60 or 70 hits a day, Seymour said.

“It certainly had the effect of getting the fort out all around the country,” he said.

GHOST HUNTER SyFy Channel TV PROGRAM

Airs Fort Knox Investigation- April 6

(Prospect) The Friends of Fort Knox working in partnership with the Maine Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands report that the SyFy Channel’s, Ghost Hunter TV program, will air the results of their investigation of the Fort, on Wednesday, April 6, at 9 PM. The investigation and filming took place in February when a film production crew arrived at Fort Knox, where Friends’ of Fort Knox executive director, Leon Seymour, provided the Ghost Hunters a tour of the site and recounted visitor reports of paranormal experiences.

A live public screening of the Ghost Hunter Fort Knox episode, entitled “Residual Haunts”, will take place on Wednesday, April 6th, from 7:30 PM until 10 PM, at the Bucksport Golf Club, Route 46, in Bucksport. The special event fundraiser, sponsored by the Friends of Fort Knox, will provide people an opportunity to meet people who have reported paranormal experiences at the Fort and watch the show on a big screen TV. Advanced tickets for the Ghost Hunter TV event are $7 per person ($10 night of the event) and may be purchased by calling 469-6553 or stopping by the Friends’ office at Fort Knox. Attendees will receive snacks and a cash bar will be available.

leon

At the conclusion of the investigation, Ghost Hunter stars, Amy Bruni and Grant Wilson, presented their paranormal investigation findings to Friends’ executive director Leon Seymour. This portion of the investigative process known as the ‘reveal’ has been kept confidential until the TV program airs.

The visit by the Ghost Hunter group was more than a year in the making. It began when the Friends of Fort Knox received an email from the producer of the program in December 2009.

Over the past several years, local paranormal investigating groups have approached the Friends of Fort Knox to enlist their help facilitating nighttime research. Some of these paranormal research groups such as Bangor Ghost Hunters, Central Maine Paranormal, East Coast Ghost Trackers and Maine Supernatural have posted their investigation results on the Internet.

The Friends of Fort Knox helped the TV show’s producers by identifying individuals who had reported having paranormal experiences to the organization during the past several years. Some of those individuals who reported having a paranormal experience were interviewed by the Ghost Hunters TV personalities. . One of those interviewed by the crew was local radio personality, Sky Taylor, who reported hearing various sounds and even seeing an apparition. Also interviewed was, Bureau of Parks and Lands Historic Site Specialist, Tom Desjardin, who provided the production company with a brief history of Fort Knox

The following information describing the SyFy Channel’s Ghost Hunter program is taken from the Wikipedia Internet site: “Ghost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004 on the Syfy Channel (previously SciFi). The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as a day job while investigating locations at night. Since the show’s success, the series now takes precedence in their lives, but they are still honorary employees with the company and continue to do jobs for them if time permits.”

The Friends of Fort Knox, formed in 1991, work in partnership with the Bureau of Parks and Lands to preserve Fort Knox and enhance its educational, cultural and economic value for the people of Maine. The Friends sponsor numerous special events including Civil War reenactments, the annual Fright at the Fort Halloween scare fest, medieval tournament, pirate day and Scottish Tattoo. Last year, the Friends funded extensive repairs to the Battery ‘B’ retaining wall, wharf area and initiated erosion control measures. This season the Friends’ will provide funding for the restoration of a powder magazine adjacent to the northern spiral staircase located within the walls of Fort Knox.

Individuals interested in learning more about the Friends of Fort Knox, special events and the history of the historic site are encouraged to visit the following web site: fortknox.maineguide.com

Contact: Leon Seymour

207-469-6553 (W)

207-223-0087 (H)

fofk1@aol.com

Tom Desjardin, Bureau of Parks and Lands

207-287-4975

GHOST HUNTER TV PROGRAM

Wraps Up Fort Knox Investigation

(Prospect) The Friends of Fort Knox working in partnership with the Maine Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands report that the SyFy Channel’s, Ghost Hunter TV program, has concluded their paranormal investigation of the State Historic site. The investigation and filming took place recently when a production crew arrived at Fort Knox, where Friends’ of Fort Knox executive director, Leon Seymour, provided the Ghost Hunters a tour of the site and recounted visitor reports of paranormal experiences.

The paranormal investigation took place amidst brief snow showers. As part of their investigation, the Ghost Hunter’s production company interviewed individuals who had reported as having a paranormal experience at the Fort to the Friends. One of those interviewed by the crew was local radio personality, Sky Taylor, who reported hearing various sounds and even seeing an apparition. Also interviewed was, Bureau of Parks and Lands Historic Site Specialist, Tom Desjardin, who provided the production company with a brief history of Fort Knox. The Ghost Hunter film crew also spent a good deal of time shooting exterior shots of the Fort from various locations and some shots of the Town of Prospect.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Ghost Hunter stars, Amy Bruni and Grant Wilson, presented their paranormal investigation findings to Friends’ executive director Leon Seymour. This portion of the investigative process known as the ‘reveal’ will be kept confidential until the TV program airs. Ghost Hunter producers told Seymour that he expects the Fort Knox episode to air this spring.

While filming the investigation the Ghost Hunter group stayed at the Four Points Sheraton, Bangor and kept local food establishments in Bucksport busy with take out food orders.

The Friends of Fort Knox report that they are giving some thought to having a ‘screening party’ the night the episode airs on the SyFy channel. The organization says that they will release details of the ‘screening party’ and how the public may obtain tickets in the near future.

The visit by the Ghost Hunter group was more than a year in the making. It began when the Friends of Fort Knox revived an email from the producer of the program in December 2009.

A good deal of preparation was necessary to ensure that the TV production crew would have easy access to the Fort due to the series of local snow storms. Bureau of Parks and Lands’ park manager, Mike Wilusz, other Bureau staff and Friend’s contracted local snow removal personnel, plowed, shoveled, removed ice and sanded to provide a safe environment for the crew in the frigid temperatures.

The following information describing the SyFy Channel’s Ghost Hunter program is taken from the Wikipedia Internet site: “Ghost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004 on the Syfy Channel (previously SciFi). The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as a day job while investigating locations at night.
Since the show’s success, the series now takes precedence in their lives, but they are still honorary employees with the company and continue to do jobs for them if time permits.”

Individuals interested in learning more about the Friends of Fort Knox, special events and the history of the historic site are encouraged to visit the following web site: fortknox.maineguide.com

Friends of Fort Knox Help Bureau of Parks and Lands

by Meghan Hayward ·WABI Apr 21st 2010

The group Friends of Fort Knox is lending a helping hand as the state deals with more budget cuts for Maine parks and historic sites. Even though the cuts will impact fort operations, officials say they won't catch the eyes of visitors.
Meghan Hayward reports.
The Friends of Fort Knox board of directors have responded to a request from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands to help them stave off cuts to their budget.
" We recognize the fact that our partner the Bureau of Parks and Lands are in a tough position economically as is everyone throughout the state of Maine."
The FFK board voted to help the bureau by accepting a request for a 50 percent reduction to their management services contract for one year. Under the contract, they provide interpretive tours, entrance fee collection, marketing and outreach services for the bureau. In the past, contracts have allowed them to retain 50 percent of fort only admission fee income to meet contract staffing needs and preservation projects. Some of those projects include the cannon restoration and re-pointing bricks.
Officials say they will have to slow down future projects, but visitors won't see a single change.
" We've seen instituted fees in other parks. They didn't want to increase fees throughout the entire park area."
But they say some projects will still get underway despite the reductions in revenue.
" One of them is a retaining wall on Battery B that is in very tough shape and we hope to get after that this Summer."
The fort did open earlier this year because of the warm weather. And they encourage everyone to come visit.
" We'll give them the same great time they usually have."

TV’s ‘Ghost Hunters’ takes interest in Fort Knox’s haunting lore

ghosthunters

By Rich Hewitt
Bangor Daily News Staff

The suspected ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night at Fort Knox may be getting a visit from television paranormal investigators the “Ghost Hunters.”

The producer of the SyFy channel’s “Ghost Hunters” series and Leon Seymour, executive director of Friends of Fort Knox, are discussing the possibility of filming a segment of the show at the fort. Story Producer Patrick Powell on Monday confirmed the show’s interest in the fort, but declined to discuss the matter until details had been completed.

“We can make it happen,” Seymour said this week. The fort was constructed between 1844 and 1869, and although troops were housed there during the Civil War, the fort never saw any action. And though no one actually died inside the fort, several people have reported hearing voices and seeing images inside.

At least one psychic has confirmed the existence of spirits in the fort. Some have suggested the spirits are those of a solider who had strong ties to the fort, such as Sgt. Leopold Hegyi, who served there for 13 years and died in the house where he lived across the road from the fort.

In addition to many unexplained experiences, visitors, over the years, perhaps sensing something in the fort, have asked guides about the possibility that the place is haunted.

The Friends organization helps to bolster that idea of ghosts with its annual Psychic and Paranormal Fair and the Fright at the Fort celebration at Halloween in which real-life spooks haunt the dank and dark alleys inside the fort.

Seymour stressed, however, that the Friends group has not taken any position on whether there are ghosts at the fort, but he said the “Ghost Hunters” investigation could be a boon for the fort and the surrounding area.

“A television show that is seen by millions will certainly put the area on the map,” he said. “It would focus attention on the fort and the observatory, and increase visitation, which can only be a benefit for everyone, except maybe the ghosts who might be disturbed.”

In recent years, several local paranormal groups, such as Bangor Ghost Hunters, Central Maine Paranormal and Maine Supernatural, have conducted investigations at the fort and have posted their results on their Web sites. According to Seymour, the Bangor Ghost Hunters were featured on a local television news program where they offered their opinion that the fort is indeed haunted.

The SyFy Channel’s “Ghost Hunters” is a one-hour weekly reality show that follows a group of real-life paranormal researchers as they investigate hauntings throughout the country, according to the show Web site. Led by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, plumbers by trade who head the Atlantic Paranormal Society, the team investigates “seemingly unexplainable disturbances.”

Seymour said he has contacted the Maine Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Public Lands, which manages the fort, for approval to have the TV crew film there. He said he is awaiting an activity permit for the shoot from Public Lands.

There has been some local interest in the program, and Seymour said he already has forwarded about 10 names of area residents who have expressed a willingness to be interviewed for the show. Despite Maine’s winter cold temperature and heavy snowstorms such as the one last weekend, Seymour said the producers indicated the “Ghost Hunters” could arrive in town as soon as February.

Anyone interested in participating in the show with a personal paranormal experience at the fort can contact the Friends at FOFK1@aol.com or by phone, 469-6553.

Pirate Day 2009 at Fort Knox (click here for video)

by Amy Erickson · Aug 08th 2009 · WABI - TV

Historic Fort Knox in Prospect was invaded by pirates Saturday,but it was all in fun. The Friends of Fort Knox sponsored their annual "Pirate Day" for folks young and old. Hundreds of folks turned out in costume, trying out their best pirate accents, to take part in the festivities, which included several contests, from best sounding pirate to best-dressed. There was also a pirate parade and two treasure hunts. The highlight of the day was the arrival of the professional Pirates of the Dark Rose, who sailed to Fort Knox aboard their authentic Pirate Ship, the "must Roos."

Organizers say besides being a lot of fun, the event also brought in some much-needed revenue to the Fort, which has been struggling this summer because of the bad weather and the economy.

Archaeology Dig at Fort Knox Reveals Clues to Past

by Amy Erickson WABI - TV · Aug 05th 2009

Budding archaeologists are spending the week at Fort Knox in Prospect.
A special field school is allowing amateurs to try their hands at digging for clues to the past.

Amy Erickson has more.

"A tremendous amount of history. You just have to find it."

That's just what Faith Campbell intends to do. She and six other students are spending the week at Fort Knox's second annual Archaeology Field School. It's a chance for budding archaeologists to study under a master...and help dig up clues to the Fort's past. They're focusing on an old foundation near the Visitor Center. The spot once housed support buildings while the Fort was under construction.

"My working idea is that this is the blacksmith shop. We found a number of artifacts that went along with that, including nailstock that was used to make nails...and other tools that make sense together only if they're at the blacksmith shop."

Historical Archaeologist Peter Morrison is the project leader. He's helped the students uncover everything from railroad spikes to buttons...even some old crockery.

"It makes the history quite real when you find something that...the last person that held it was a blacksmith, this is where he dropped it...sometimes you get a really direct connection to that history." "It's adding to the story of Fort Knox. There were many support buildings here. We don't know where they were. There is, in fact, an undiscovered Fort Knox, so every time we do a field school, we're discovering more about it and adding to the base of knowledge about Fort Knox."

Campbell, for one, wants to do her part to help others make that connection to Maine's history.
"So many of our history textbooks talk about Virginia and Massachusetts." "not a lot has been written about Maine history, or as much as we'd like."

Fort Knox gets facelift in advance of busy season

By Steve Fuller

The Republican Journal Reporter

PROSPECT (April 21): Volunteers came from near and far Saturday, April 18, to give the grounds at Fort Knox a bit of a facelift prior to the state park's opening next week.

Friends of Fort Knox Executive Director Leon Seymour said it was the sixth year the cleanup day has been held. It takes place in conjunction with the Civil War Preservation Trust's "Park Day," a national effort to clean Civil War sites.

t-shirt

T-shirts with this logo were given to participants in Saturday's cleanup at Fort Knox. (Photos by Steve Fuller)

"This is a Civil War site, even though there was no action here," Seymour said. "It was manned for defense during the Civil War."

Grace Clement from Prospect was one of those helping out Saturday morning.

grace

Grace Clement of Prospect rakes leaves. (Photo by Steve Fuller)

"I live across the street, so it's easy to get here," said Clement as she raked leaves. Another local who pitched in was Carol Lewandowski, of Verona Island, who has participated for a couple of years.

Carol

Verona Island resident Carol Lewandowski smiles while raking leaves. Other volunteers in the background prepare to head out to their assignments. (Photo by Steve Fuller)

Traveling a slightly longer distance were the 15 Scouts and half-dozen adults from Boy Scout Troop 310 of Saco. The Scouts, as per their motto, came well prepared with rakes, leaf blowers and power sweepers. There were more Scouts than power tools, however, which meant seniority was needed to determine who would use them.

scouts

Boy Scouts from Troop 310 in Saco clean the grounds at Fort Knox on Saturday, April 18, in the shadow of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory. (Photo by Steve Fuller)

As one younger Scout went to pick up a power tool, an older peer gently informed him he wouldn't be able to use it. "No, no, no," said the older Scout. "Newbies aren't allowed to use the power tools.

"But we're smart," said the younger Scout.

The older Scout said he knew young Scouts were smart, but that he was just following instructions.

power

First Class Scout Dylan Court, of Boy Scout Troop 310 in Saco, operates a power sweeper in the parking lot. (Photo by Steve Fuller)

Martha Mitchell, a teacher from Thomaston, came for the first time; she was on school vacation and wanted to do something outdoors with Earth Day approaching. "Earth Day is coming up," she said, "and this is kind of an earthy contribution."

Martha

Martha Mitchell, a teacher from Thomaston, freshens mulch around a tree near the Fort Knox visitor center. (Photo by Steve Fuller)

Fort Knox, which opens Friday, May 1, has a busy 2009 schedule. In addition to the traditional Civil War re-enactments and cannon firings, other favorites, including the psychic and paranormal fair, will return.

group

Volunteers break for a group photo. (Photo by Steve Fuller)

Music lovers will have lots from which to choose, too. Bluegrass, bagpipes and rock and roll are among this summer's offerings. For those interested in history, there will be another archeological field school as well as a granite-cutting demonstration.

For those with a theatrical bent, there will be two nights of Shakespeare productions. Additional drama and fine acting are likely to be found during two other events — the pirate festival and medieval tournament.

Athletes looking for a challenge — that's probably the nicest word for it — can sign up for the "Double Hill Duathlon," in September. It will feature a 3-mile run followed by a 15-mile bike leg; both portions traverse the hilly Route 174.

All these events will lead up to what Seymour — with a sly grin — calls "the big enchilada." That would be Fright at the Fort, which will celebrate its 10 anniversary in October. Though details remain sketchy at this point, Seymour said there will be "something special" to mark the milestone.

fright

This bumper sticker on a Fort Knox vehicle promoted the 2008 installment of Fright at the Fort. This fall marks its 10th anniversary, and Friends of Fort Knox Executive Director Leon Seymour says special features will mark the milestone. (Photo by Steve Fuller)

Additional information about all these events, and registration forms for the race and the archeological field school, may be found at fortknox.maineguide.com.

"We try and offer a variety of events to attract a diverse group of people," said Seymour, after listing all the planned events. "We do it all, here."

The Republican Journal Reporter Steve Fuller can be reached at 207-338-3333 or by e-mail at sfuller@villagesoup.com.

Fort Knox Restoration Project

Photographic Dispatches from Fort

Knox, Prospect, Maine

This "long alley" demibastion was reopened this season.

Above ground cistern rooms reopened to the public for the first time in two decades. Tim Hall, Bureau of Parks and Lands Northern Region Director (left) and FFK Chair, Chris Popper (right), cut the ribbon reopening the rooms in October 2008.

Rebekah Woodworth, from Rockport, Maine, displays a nail found during the first FFK archaeology field school held in August. Rebekah and Alma Morrison, from Scituate, Massachusetts, pictured on the right, carefully probe for potential artifacts.

Parking lot lights are off loaded and installed by FFK this season. FFK Board member and 20th Maine Civil War reenactor, Michael Celli, lectures visitors on medical practices during the war.

Two local companies pitch in to help at the Fort. Green Thumb, of Brewer, sprays vegetation causing damage to masonry joints on the Fort facade and Wardwell Construction, Bucksport, repairs collapsed wall in Battery 'B'.

Captain Crudbeaard entertains those attending "Pirate Day" at the Fort, while eager listeners learn about ghost hunting techniques at the annual paranormal/psychic faire. The faire was the busiest weekend at Fort Knox this season. Other notable special events included the Scottish Tattoo, Medieval Tournament, Civil War encampments, granite cutting demonstrations and cannon firing.

Fright at the Fort attracted 8,700 visitors and added funds for the Century and a Half masonry repair project.

Repair project a challenge for local mason

By Rich Hewitt
BDN Staff

PROSPECT, Maine — The Friends of Fort Knox on Sunday reopened a section of the historic fort housing an above-ground cistern that has been closed to the public for decades.

The cistern — a reservoir for storing water — and adjoining enlisted-men’s quarters were refurbished this summer as part of the Friends group’s “Century and a Half” masonry project — work on the fort began in 1843 and was completed in 1869. Orrington mason Joe Bowley repaired loose and falling bricks on the walls of the cistern and quarters and on vaulted ceilings in both rooms. Bowley also replaced and repaired mortar in areas of the walls and ceilings.

“The bricks were falling,” Bowley said. “We lost one big chunk.”

Leon Seymour, the executive director of the Friends group, said they were concerned about bricks falling on people’s heads. That is why the area had been closed to the public for at least two decades, he said.

Many of the fallen bricks had been taken from the fort, and one whole section of the wall of the enlisted-men’s quarters was missing, Bowley said. He was able to draw on stores of old bricks that had been salvaged from around the fort, but many were different sizes and textures than those that remained in place. That posed a challenge for the mason, but the biggest challenge, he said, was a force of nature.

“We were fighting gravity,” Bowley said.

When the cistern and the quarters were built, the builders would have used forms to create the vaulted ceilings, he said. He had to use a 2-by-4 support system to hold sections of brick in place while the mortar dried.

“It was quite a challenge,” he said.

Bowley and his crew spent much of the summer working on the areas in most need of repair, and worked about three weeks on the cistern and quarters areas.

Tim Hall, regional manager for the Bureau of Parks and Lands which oversees the historic site, said the cistern, one of four in the fort, was an important feature in the design of Fort Knox and other forts which could provide water to the defenders in the event of a siege.

“The Friends of Fort Knox have used their own money to bring this area back into public view so that we can better understand the history and how the fort worked,” Hall said.

Also present for the ribbon cutting were Chris Popper, chairman of the Friends of Fort Knox; Sen. Carol Weston, R-Waldo County; and fort manager Mike Wilusz.

The cistern, and another aboveground cistern that is bricked in, is an unusual feature, according to Seymour.

“You won’t see them anywhere else,” he said.

The restoration of the cistern is part of the first phase of the masonry project, which is expected to continue through spring. Bowley has provided the Friends with a 10 percent discount on his work, which has kept the costs reasonable, Seymour said. The group still expects to spend about $75,000 on Phase I of the project by the time it is completed.

Phase II of the project will involve identifying the major areas of masonry work that might cause safety concerns in the fort, and Phase III will include repairing the rest of the masonry work around the fort.

“We want to bring the rest of the masonry up to snuff, so that it will last another 150 years,” he said.

Artifacts unearthed at Fort Knox tell 2 tales

By Rich Hewitt
BDN Staff

PROSPECT, Maine — Artifacts uncovered from an archaeological dig at Fort Knox this summer tell two different stories about the dig site.

The artifacts came from the Friends of Fort Knox’s first archaeological field school this summer. The field school brought in people for two weeklong sessions to work with historical archaeologist Peter Morrison on the excavation of an area around an old foundation located near the visitors center at the fort.

Morrison presented the findings on Sunday before the Friends’ annual meeting. He theorized that the building that once stood on the site was a blacksmith shop during the construction of the fort, but a home occupied the site much earlier. Construction of the fort began in 1843 and ended in 1869.

Students at the field school cleared the site and, under Morrison’s direction, carefully dug at chosen sites inside and around the foundation stones. They cataloged all of the artifacts they unearthed.

“We have two sets of artifacts that tell two different stories,” Morrison said.

The first set of artifacts included window glass and ceramics, Morrison said, and the window glass was Crown glass, a method of making glass panes that was common in the 1700s.

“By the 1840s this would have been an obsolete way of making glass,” he said.

The ceramic bits found at the site included pieces of teacups, saucers and dinner plates. The plates were Pearl, ware made through the 1700s and into the early 1800s, he said. Bits of stoneware made in England right through the Revolution were also found.

“These would have been old pieces of ceramics by the time the fort was being built,” he said. “This all hints that this was a residence from the late 1700s to the early 1800s. That’s not terribly surprising.”

Morrison noted that the fort property was purchased in three different transactions that included three farms. The original building may have been one of those farmhouses.

The second set of artifacts tells a different story, one more like the one Morrison said he expected to find. Those artifacts included a lot of metal: railroad spikes, an iron pin, wedges and half-rounds or feathers used to cut granite, a piece of iron nail stock used to make nails and two padlocks, all types of tools or materials that would have been in use during the construction of the fort, he said.

While one or two items might have been found at sites around the fort while it was being constructed, Morrison said the one place they all would have been found was in a blacksmith shop.

The cataloged artifacts will be cleaned in the lab, Morrison said, which may tell researchers more about the site.

The Friends group hopes to continue the archaeological field school next year with the idea of unearthing more of the hidden history of Fort Knox.

rhewitt@bangordailynews.net

667-9394

Dig aims to identify building once near Fort Knox

fort knox dig
Thursday, August 14, 2008 - Bangor Daily News (Reprinted with permission)

PROSPECT, Maine - Who didn’t want to be an archaeologist when they were a kid?

A group of fledgling Indiana Joneses is getting that chance this week at the first Friends of Fort Knox Archaeology Field School at the Fort Knox Historic Site. And though the search may not be for the Crystal Skull, the dig at the fort is being conducted to solve a local mystery.

Under the direction of archaeologist Peter Morrison, the students at the field school are excavating the site of a building that sits outside the fort proper near the edge of the fort’s northern boundary. The stone foundation of the building had been discovered during previous archaeological work done at the site.

Although the stones of the foundation are easily visible, no one knows what the building might have been used for.

"We’ve been toying with the idea of a field school for several years," said Leon Seymour, executive director for the Friends of Fort Knox. "We’re interested in telling the story of the lost Fort Knox."

During the 25 years between 1844 and 1869 that the fort was being built, there were more than 20 buildings scattered around the 120 acres currently owned by the state of Maine as part of the fort complex. There were temporary barracks, mess halls, barns for oxen and stone sheds for shaping the granite blocks for the fort.

"There was a thriving little community here," Seymour said. "The records are not very exact. We have a general idea of what buildings were here. But for this building, we have no idea what it was."

The field school started Monday with the students, who paid tuition to participate, clearing the site of trees and brush. That effort uncovered rock divisions inside the main foundations that have posed another puzzle for the dig team.

"We don’t know if those divisions represent divisions within the building itself for different uses or if they are purely structural," Morrison said.

Items uncovered in the different sections may help determine whether the building had multiple uses, he said.

Early finds from the various pits dug within and outside the foundations have included nails, glass and pieces of crockery and dinnerware, which seem to indicate that the building served as some type of residence. They haven’t found anything yet that definitively identifies how the building was used, Morrison said, and it is unlikely that they will find that one piece.

"We’re dealing with a puzzle with thousands of pieces," he said. "We don’t often have just one piece that explains everything. And part of the problem is that a lot of the pieces are missing."

All those artifacts, as well as modern items that have been dumped on the site, are being cataloged as they are found and will be taken to a lab to be analyzed.

The field school has attracted participants of all ages, some local and others from around the country.

"Who didn’t want to be an archaeologist?" said Rebekah Woodworth of Rockport, a facilities manager for a Rockland biotech manufacturing firm. The dig at Fort Knox, she said, was a chance to put pieces of history together, to get a more complete understanding of the period.

Charlie Mock, a paramedic from Holden, and Guy Hamlin, a high school history teacher from Belfast, were working on a pit outside the foundation Wednesday. Mock, a self-described "history geek," said he was enjoying learning a little more of the history of the place.

"Things don’t just happen; people make them happen," he said. "The story of the fort is fascinating, and we’re learning more about the people who came here and poured out their sweat to build this place."

Hamlin said he hopes to incorporate the story of the fort into his American history classes, including possibly involving his students in the dig itself. That was part of the reason Deb Youcis of Bucksport and Ann Marancik of Orland signed up to work at the field school. The two will team-teach a third-grade class next year at the Orland Consolidated School, adapting the fort and its history into a variety of subject areas.

They’re also into the digging.

"It’s the suspense, the fun of finding something and getting to unearth it," Marancik said.

"The first thing we found was a piece of glass," said Youcis, who volunteers as a tour guide at the fort. "It was just a tiny little shard, but it makes you want to keep going."

There’s something about the site that "calls to you," Marancik said, "and makes you want to find out what people were doing here."

"There’s a story here," Youcis added. "We just have to piece it together."

The field school fits in with the mission of the Friends group to expand the educational and cultural value of the fort, Seymour said. The fort’s grounds hold a number of other potential sites for digs, and Seymour said the Friends group would like to make the field school an annual event.

rhewitt@bangordailynews.net

667-9394

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