Fort Taber Historical Association, inc.



A community non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Fort Taber and its history, as a part of the city of New Bedford's past.

e-Newsletter

September 2003

This is the first in a regular series of newsletters providing information of the association's progress. Significant gains have been made this year toward achieving our goal of establishing a museum in the P-28 building at Fort Taber Park. After completing restoration of P-28, a licensing agreement was signed last year between the city and the Fort Rodman Marine Educational Association/Low Tide Yacht Club, which occupies half of the restored building.

P-28 building circa 1956

	This month, the city has signed a similar agreement with the Fort Taber Historical Association. We are in the process of creating a series of public events as part of our obligation to the city. It is with great pleasure that We can announce that the director of the museum is William M. MacMullen. Mr. MacMullen works as a project manager/construction administrator/preservation planner. He has studied museum science at Harvard University and was the founder and Executive Director of the United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum and preserved the heavy cruiser USS Salem as an artifact of the Quincy exhibit. He was the Navy's consultant on museum planning for the Navy Museum at China Lake, California. He was commissioned by the governor of Massachusetts as Lieutenant Colonel for the 25^th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment to represent the Commonwealth at historical events. Through the efforts of Mr. MacMullen, several artillery pieces which were part of the Fort Rodman batteries have been found in Virginia under the care of the Department of the Navy. We are currently working with the office of the mayor and the Department of the Navy to bring these pieces back for display. In addition to preserving the military history of the fort, we also intend to provide them with the historical factors that made these fortifications necessary. Other subjects that are of an interest to the association include the Clark's Point Lighthouse, the Stone Fleet, and the coastal fortifications system.
		Hopefully, many of you came to the Civil War reenactment this past summer, which brought units from all over Massachusetts. Next summer the FTHA will be sponsoring a second Civil War reenactment, which is expected to be even larger than the one this past summer.
	The FTHA's plans now heavily depend on the support of its members. That support can be shown by continuing your membership for $10.00, by volunteering to be docent, participating in future events, encouraging others to join, and being willing to take an active role in the running of the association. We wish to thank all of you who have stayed with the association during the past few(quiet) years of our existence, and to thank the Office of the Mayor-Fred Kalisz in maintaining their interest in allowing us to establish a museum.

	The primary goal of the FTHA is to depict and interpret the military experience of the Fort Taber site. Therefore, we are interested in any donations or loans, or any artifacts that were part of the history of Clark's Point, Fort Taber or Fort Rodman. These could include paintings, photographs, and military memorabilia. If you have any such items, you may contact Donald Moss or Joseph Langlois.

	Joseph Langlois President, FTHA