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Fort Montgomery Visitor Center rising - 11 May, 2006
By AKIKO MATSUDA
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: May 11, 2006)
FORT MONTGOMERY — A 25-foot-high Douglas fir frame rose yesterday morning along the Hudson River where Americans fought for their freedom against the British in 1777.
The rising timber is part of a $1.8 million project to build a visitor center at the Fort Montgomery State Historic Site.
Salvatore Cuciti, senior architect for the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, said he designed the building with an 18- by 21-foot glass window so people could overlook the historic battle site, as well as the Hudson.
"Americans shot a British ship from this fortress," Cuciti said yesterday, standing at the construction site, near the Revolutionary War battlefield. "Our building will have the same gun-sight view right down the river."
Once it's completed, the one-story building will offer gallery and theater space, as well as park offices on the ground floor. People could take an elevator to the classrooms and meeting rooms in the basement.
The driveway off Route 9W will accommodate school buses for children who come for programs and to walk along the trail.
"The great thing is that you can come right out the back door and hike up to the fort. The fort is right over there," Cuciti said, pointing north. "School groups can get education at the center and experience the fort."
In response to a request by Gov. George Pataki, the project is environmentally conscious, Cuciti said. The traditional timber roof is supported by hemlock logs, which were recovered from Bear Mountain and Harriman parks. Granite from a demolished building in the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area will serve as part of the foundation.
The 6,000-square-foot building will have more insulation than typical structures to save on energy, Cuciti said.
Susan Smith, restoration coordinator with the park commission, said that once it's completed, the center will present various artifacts recovered from the area.
The artifacts, including cannonballs and bricks from the fortress, are being prepared for an exhibit.
"People will be able to learn more about the battles in Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton, and more about the Revolutionary War," Smith said.
Smith said the commission planned to open the center Oct. 7 — when the Fort Montgomery Battle Site Association, a local history group, celebrates the 229th anniversary of the battle.
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