Preserving Camp Blount

Preserving Camp Blount. . Raising Awareness , The significance of Camp Blount has been recognized for over a century. In 1913, the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution marked the site with a boulder bearing a bronze plaque. In 1927, A.P. Foster, former Assistant Librarian of Tennessee, wrote an article on Camp Blount at the urging of Fayetteville businessman Robert Harp Gray. Ultimately, efforts to win Camp Blount recognition as a national military site stalled and public memory of the site faded for a time. , Preservation Efforts Interest in Camp Blount revived mid-century. In 1952, the Tennessee Historical Commission erected a historical marker near the D.A.R. monument. When commercial development began to impact the site, interest in preserving Camp Blount grew. Through the efforts of Jerry Mansfield, County Executive for Lincoln County, and state representative Clarence "Pete" Phillips the state erected a historical marker in 1998 to replace the 1952 marker damaged years earlier. , Saving Camp Blount The approach of the War of 18 12 bicentennial sparked renewed interest in Camp Blount. In 2010, State Historian Walter T.Durham and organizations connected to the War of 18 12 identified the preservation of Camp Blount as a priority. The Camp Blount Bicentennial Committee in Fayetteville helped spur interest in the site with a living history event in 2013, and raised funds toward its purchase. Preserving Camp Blount was the Tennessee War of 18 12 Commission's greatest achievement. , In 2015, the Tennessee Historical Commission, using funds from a special appropriation and matching funding from the State Lands Acquisition Fund of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, along with individual donations, acquired the Camp Blount site to preserve and protect it for future generations. The City of Fayetteville manages and maintains Camp Blount Historic Site through an agreement with the Tennessee Historical Commission. , Inset text: Tennessee was the only state to preserve historically significant ground during the War of 18 12 Bicentennial.