Fort Armistead

CDSG REPRESENTATIVE SITE VISIT REPORT

Fort Name: Fort Armistead

Date of Visit:  14 Oct, 2006

Current Site Name:  Ft. Armistead Park

Site Use: (Park, School, Private Ownership, Landfill, Etc.) Park

Is the Site open to the Public?: Yes
Dates and Hours of Operation: Daily-8:00 till dusk

What type of programs are offered at the Site?: None
Living History:  No
Tours:  No
Museum Shop:  No
Restoration Projects?: No

Are there events that the Site would like to have advertised in the CDSG
Newsletter?:  No
Event:
Description:
Dates/Times:

What is the overall condition of the Site?:  Battery Mudge is over grown and almost lost in the vegetation in the summer.  Mudge appears to have some damage but the extent is unknown given the extensive coverage by the vegetation. Battery Winchester, McFarland, and Irons are in good shape.  However,  the park does not take good care of them (graffiti and trash). The superintendent said they had cleaned up the trash several times but it just comes back. The rest of the park is used as a boat ramp for the Patapsco River and is well cared for. Due to the terrain and vegetation I was unable to search for the mining casement or the searchlight power house. The mine casement has been reported as being present on another website but was unconfirmed.

What is the condition of the Individual Elements?:
Batteries: Batteries are covered in Graffiti and have significant trash problems. (photos included)
Buildings: No buildings exist.
Other Elements:  Magazines and store rooms below the batteries are accessible as gates have been broken down (photos included).  There seems to be extensive graffiti and trash problems with the magazines as well.

What is the protective status of the Site?:
National Park:  No
National Register:  No
State or Local Historic Site:  No
None?:  Yes

Current Site Owner(s):  Baltimore City Parks Department
Current Site Supervisor:  Mr. Joe Hemphill (site Manager)  Tom Jeannetta
Mailing Address: 2600 Madison Ave, Baltimore MD 21217
Phone: 410-396-7931(Jeannetta) 410-396-5828 (Hemphill)
Fax:
Email:  thomas.jeannetta@baltimorecity.gov

Support Group:  None
Contact Person:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Other Contacts at the Site: (Individuals interested in the history/preservation of the place)
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Is the Site or a responsible individual at the site a CDSG member?:  No

What information can the CDSG provide to the management of the site?:  None

Are there any projects at the Site that would benefit from CDSG funding?:  No

Is there anyone at the Site that would submit material for the CDSG Journal?: No

Any Special Situations at the Site: None

If individual batteries, base-end stations, buildings, etc. are in some way significant, please indicate: Access to rooms and magazines below the battery would be unusual as most are normally sealed off.  However, due to the trash problems and being alone and armed with only a camera I did not venture inside many of the rooms.