STATESVILLE—The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has announced that Ft. Dobbs State Historic Site in Statesville won a $150,000 grant for a multi-year project designed to expand and enhance the site’s historical and interpretive potential. This grant amount is the maximum the IMLS customarily awards through its Museums for America (MFA) program. The award is one of only 154 given from Maine to Alaska.
“This prestigious IMLS grant gives us an unparalleled opportunity to explore an oft-neglected aspect of North Carolina’s colonial history and enables Historic Sites to interpret Ft. Dobbs within a broader historical and cultural context,” said N.C. Historic Sites Director Keith Hardison.
The “Fort Dobbs Historic Site: Reinterpretation, Expansion & Reconstruction” project funding will enable planning and conceptual drawings for the site’s development, reconstruction and interior exhibits, crafting an interpretive plan and related exhibitions. The project stems from the new community-developed strategic plan and directly addresses Ft. Dobbs’ mission to “preserve and interpret North Carolina’s only French and Indian War fort.”
In 2008 the Institute’s MFA grants totaled $16.9 million. The largest museum grant program administered by IMLS, MFA grants support institutions wanting to strengthen their services in engaging communities (education, exhibitions and interpretation), building institutional capacity (management, policy and training) and stewarding collections.
“As repositories of our nation’s treasures and our nation’s history, museums are positioned to play an integral role in the education of their communities. Museums for America grants support projects and ongoing activities that build museums’ capacities and help these institutions serve their diverse constituencies to the best of their abilities,” said IMLS Director Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice.
Other institutions receiving the maximum grant include the Guggenheim Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Its mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the institute, visit www.imls.gov.
The role of Ft. Dobbs and North Carolina in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), the first true world war, makes up an important chapter in North Carolina’s colonial history. Built in 1756, the fort was named for Royal Governor Arthur Dobbs and manned by provincial soldiers. It was garrisoned from 1756-1761, sheltering frontier settlers during the war and serving as the colony’s western frontier company headquarters. The fort was attacked Feb. 27, 1760, when soldiers fought off more than 60 Cherokee.
Ft. Dobbs State Historic Site is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering living history programs daily. It is part of the Division of N.C. Historic Sites and Properties within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture. For more information on Ft. Dobbs, visit www.fortdobbs.org or call 704/873-5882, email info@fortdobbs.org. This program reflects the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources 2008 theme “Telling Our Stories,” a yearlong celebration that showcases the story of North Carolina’s rich arts, heritage, and cultural life. For more information on Cultural Resources programs, visit www.ncculture.com.