Collaborating with the Army Corps to Protect the Village of Zoar
- Collaborating with the Army Corps to Protect the Village of Zoar
Historic preservationists and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may seem like unlikely allies, but they often find themselves in close association nonetheless. Here we explore a successful collaboration between preservation advocates and the Army Corps—one of the most influential agencies in implementing the federal government’s stewardship responsibilities for cultural resources.
ABOUT THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Historic Beginnings
Today’s Army Corps has a deep and significant history in the development of the United States. Its roots date back to June 16, 1775, when the Continental Congress organized an army that included one chief engineer and two assistants. This early “ancestor” group grew under Gen. George Washington and is credited with building the Revolutionary War fortifications at Bunker Hill near Boston.1
The Army Corps as we know it today owes its creation to President Thomas Jefferson, who established its headquarters and training facilities at West Point. During the Civil War the Corps built forts, trenches, bridges, batteries and transportation mechanisms—all of which aided the Union Army’s victory. During World War II, the Corps assisted U.S. interests overseas by building bridges and maintaining roads needed for troops to advance into Germany. At home, the Corps constructed the numerous buildings and structures of the three Manhattan Project sites, now listed together in the National Register of Historic Places and one of the National Trust’s National Treasures.2
Expanding Role
By the outset of World War II, the Corps was well on its way to being a leader in constructing and managing hydroelectric power. After World War II, the work of the Army Corps included expanded efforts in civil activities—surveying road and canal routes, dredging sandbars in the Ohio and Mississippi [End Page 8] rivers, building coastal fortifications, and charting navigational routes. It eventually became the nation’s federal flood control agency. It also became the nation’s leading provider of hydroelectric power and recreation areas, assumed added responsibilities for natural disaster response, and, in the 1960s, took on a leading role in preserving and restoring natural areas.
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Mayor Larry Bell welcomes attendees at the Zoar Garden for the June 2012 announcement of Zoar’s inclusion in the list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
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Preservation partners gather at a Section 106 meeting in November 2012, including the Army Corps, Village of Zoar, Zoar Community Association, Ohio History Connection, Heritage Ohio, Ohio and Erie Canalway coalition, Governor Kasick’s office, and the National Trust.
Current Structure and Organization
Today, the Army Corps employs more than 36,500 civilian employees and military personnel. With a staff of this size, it has become one of the largest public engineering, design and construction agencies in the world. Consequently, understanding how the Corps works is no easy task. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, at the Pentagon, the Corps’ national headquarters office is responsible for overall policy and plans for all Corps initiatives, including civil works, military readiness for the Army and Air Force, worldwide contingency operations, and the global war on terrorism. The Chief of Engineers—the head official of the Corps—is supported by three deputies. They are further supported by one director who leads Military Programs and another director who leads Civil Works. The Corps is further divided geographically into nine divisions.
THE ARMY CORPS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION
For many preservationists, the Army Corps’ connection to historic preservation is not immediately apparent. With a stated mission to [End Page 9] “[d]eliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our Nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters,” it would seem that the Army Corps’ work is limited to military-type engineering projects. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Corps has the largest workforce in the federal government with more than 200 specialists in a broad range of disciplines, including a Center of Expertise in Historic Structures and...
