Sutler Store restoration to begin with ‘dig’
The Friends of Fort Griffin have been granted permission from the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to move ahead with the next stage of the Sutler Store restoration project at Fort Griffin State Historic Site, and the group is hiring Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. (CMEC) to do the required archeological dig.
“We are very excited about it, and they are also,” said Susan Waller with the Friends of Fort Griffin. “Brett Cruse with the THC offered us two proposals that they had sought out for us to choose between, and we went with the less expensive one. It is $44,105, and was $15,000 to $20,000 less than the other option.”
CMEC has worked with the THC on multiple projects in the past. Melissa Green, from the company’s Irving office and a registered professional archeologist with over 35 years of experience in the field, will serve as the principal investigator for the project.
She will be joined on the project by Heather Goodson, a senior historian with over a dozen years of experience in historical preservation, along with five other full-time archeologists and two GIS specialists.
CMEC will fill out paperwork to apply for the required antiquities permit, perform archival research, and conduct the archeological fieldwork inside and around the area of the ruin of the Sutler Store.
“They are hoping to get started working at the site within the next two months,” said Waller. “The ‘dig’ is expected to last 18 days. I’m not sure how many people they will have in the field, but they estimated that it would take about 530 man-hours.”
Other projects that the Friends of Fort Griffin have funded over the years include research on the Powder Magazine, restoration of the Powder Magazine, work on the barracks chimneys, restoration of the Bakery, replacing roofs on the Mess Hall, the barracks, and the Jackson House, providing food for reenactors at the fort, and research on the Sutler Store.
One of the main ways that the Friends of Fort Griffin raise money to provide the funds needed to help maintain and restore the historic fort is by their annual Gala, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 6, at Collins Creek Ranch.
For more information call Waller at 325-762-5038 or see the Friends of Fort Griffin Facebook page.
