CDSG REPRESENTATIVE SITE VISIT REPORT

Fort Name: Fort Howard

Date of Visit: 18 August 2007

Current Site Name: Ft. Howard Park & Bay Shore at Fort Howard

Site Use: County Park and soon to be a retirement community.

Is the Site open to the Public?: Yes
Dates and Hours of Operation: Closed Sept to Veterans day (park). Normally open 8:00 till dusk in the summer and 9:00 till dusk in the winter. VA side still has a clinic which is open M-F from 8:00 until 4:00. VA side of Ft Howard closed on Weekends.

What type of programs are offered at the Site?:
Living History: Defenders Day-Battle of 1812 (9 Sept)
Tours: None
Museum Shop: None

Restoration Projects: None

What is the overall condition of the Site: Good

What is the condition of the Individual Elements?:
Batteries: Good- Except Battery Lazear Demolished at an earlier date
Buildings: Some of the brick buildings are still standing on the site of the former VA Hospital which is next door to the batteries. (Officer Quarters, NCO Quarters, Bakery, Post Exchange, and Ordnance Storage House). The installation movie theater may be the former reading room and cafeteria from the 1921 survey map.

What is the protective status of the Site?:
National Park: No
National Register: No
State Historic Site: No

Current Site Owner: Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks (batteries side)
Current Site Supervisor: Denise Spurrier
Mailing Address: 7201 North Point Rd. Baltimore, MD 21219
Phone: 410-887-7529
Fax:
Email: dspurrier@co.ba.md.us

Other Contacts for the Site: Buzz Chriest (organizes Defender Day)
Mailing Address: 27 Township Road, Baltimore, MD, 21222
Phone: 410-282-1997
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?: None

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

Any Special Situations at the Site: (Damage, Imminent Destruction, Etc.) The site has been split with the VA running the Western 2/3 of the property. The county administers the eastern third of the property where the gun batteries are located. The county does a good job at maintaining the park which is centered around the remaining batteries. However, there is dense vegetation on other portions of the park property so some items from the 1921 survey maps could not be searched for. Some of the original buildings still exist. The VA Hospital with many of the support buildings from the original fort are being converted to a retirement community. It appears to be a joint project between the VA and a developer. Current name is Bayside at Ft. Howard. No other information is available at this time.

If individual batteries, base-end stations, buildings, etc. are in some way significant, please indicate: Photos provided primarily of the Batteries in the park side of the facility. Battery Stricker is used for a Haunted house in the fall so it has been spray painted extensively on the inside. Some graffiti painted on the exteriors of the other batteries but not too much.  

Are there events that the Site would like to have advertised in the CDSG Newsletter: Yes
Event: Defenders Day
Description: Reenactment of War of 1812 battle at Northpoint in Baltimore.
Dates/Times: 9 Sept 2007