Ohio's only Revolutionary War fort will be partially reconstructed

BOLIVAR ‒ With support from the recently passed state capital budget, the Fort Laurens Museum and grounds will get an extensive makeover in time for the Revolutionary War fort's 250th birthday in 2028.

The project will include a partial reconstruction of the fort.

The state of Ohio has awarded $3.2 million for the work, which is expected to cost around $7 million total.

Three different parts

The project has three components, according to Megan Wood, executive director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection, which owns the site.

First, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the only tomb for an unknown Revolutionary War soldier, will get needed masonry work and landscape issues will be addressed, she said. The goal is to have the work done by July 4, 2026, in time for the nation's 250th birthday.

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Second, a public archaeology program is planned that will lead to the partial reconstruction of the fort. That is expected to begin in the spring. "We expect that there will be multiple archaeology seasons on the site of the fort that will uncover the exact locations of the fort's construction," Wood said.

"I don't know if there are other public archaeology programs going on in Ohio right, or there's very few, meaning that while the excavations are happening, people will be able to come and see it actively happening."

She added, "We are going to be able learn things we can't even anticipate from the archaeology, and I'm hoping that's going to spark a lot more interest in this time period."

Museum renovation

The final part of the project is making improvements and renovations to the museum exhibits, working with the Zoar Community Association, which manages the site, the Friends of Fort Laurens group and representatives of American Indian tribes with ties to events at Fort Laurens, she said.

New exhibits will be created, restrooms will be upgraded, and the space will be reconfigured for better flow, Wood said. The building itself will not be expanded because it sits on the site of the fort. "I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised with how much change we can make to that space."

The museum work is expected to be done before November 2028, which is the 250th anniversary of the building of the fort. The reconstructed fort will be rededicated at that time. It can only be partially rebuilt, because the Ohio & Erie Canal was constructed through the site in the 1820s.

No concerns about funding

Wood said she is not concerned about getting all of the funding needed for the project. "We've gotten a really good chunk of funding from the state of Ohio in the capital budget, so we are able to move full steam ahead on those three fronts."

She noted the state has been good about providing funding, and there are also private opportunities to raise money. "We feel pretty good, or we wouldn't be moving forward if we thought we couldn't finish the project."

Support for programming

Jon Elsasser, president of the Zoar Community Association, said the reconstruction of a portion of the fort will be great for giving people an appreciation for the scale of the structure. It will also help support their programming.

"We're certainly looking forward to the project starting off here. We've been working on it for a long time," he said.

Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Ohio's only Revolutionary War fort will be partially reconstructed