Dover, TN—The interim Visitor Center has been delivered at Fort Donelson National Battlefield. Workers delivered the large modular structure late this week.
The interim Visitor Center will give Fort Donelson staff the ability to offer a greater range of visitor opportunities, exhibits, and immediate access to park programming, education events, and more. Preparation for its placement has included improvements to the adjacent education pavilion, an amphitheater and stage, and coming improvements to the landscape around the historic Visitor Center building, which is awaiting continuation of its rehabilitation.
Park Superintendent Brian McCutchen said: “The staff, partners, and patrons from around the nation have been encouraging in our working toward this goal for quite some time.” As a National Park Service facility, the coming center will allow for opportunities not possible at its present, shared location, the Stewart County Visitor Center. One opportunity will be the ability to display and interpret items from the park’s museum collection; perhaps the number one request that visitors have requested.”
The park’s historic Visitor Center closed in December of 2014 in preparation for a scheduled and needed accessibility, safety, and sustainability undertaking. The park intended to bring in a modular facility, however then Stewart County Mayor Rick Joiner made a proposal for Fort Donelson provide its basic visitor services at the county facility, located across Fort Donelson Parkway from the park entrance.
“It was innovative and beneficial for both county and park. The Mayor was correct in his prediction that many thousands of people, most of whom would likely never visit the county building, would be introduced to not only the battlefield, but to Stewart County, its area offerings, business opportunities, and often to the wonderful people of the community. I have met at least three couples or families that relocated to the area because of their starting their national park visit at the county center, learning of the area, and in being encouraged to experience our small and friendly town,” McCutchen said.
Though lauded nationally as a model for shared services of local and federal visitor operations, the collaboration was not intended to be permanent. Unexpected events brought a halt to the park Visitor Center rehabilitation. Since, the park and its regional support have been dedicated in working to continue the project, but it has been a slow process. “It has been four years of Fort Donelson orienting visitors to the battlefield, while not at the actual resource. Much of what the public wishes to see and experience, including the trail head to miles of hiking trails, will be right outside the door from where they will soon start their visit.”
“We appreciate the collaboration and sharing opportunity that we have had with both the Stewart County Mayor’s office and the Chamber of Commerce. It is my understanding that the two offices have plans in place for the county center, which we will continue to encourage patrons to visit. For Fort Donelson, I believe that visitors will immediately appreciate the on-park benefits, the media and exhibits, the experience of everything being on the national park, and its immediate offerings,” the Superintendent closed with.
An early April opening is anticipated, although that may be delayed.
Photo by Fort Donelson staff.