Portland nonprofit launches fundraiser to save historic Fort Gorges
Photos / Jim Neuger
The Friends of Fort Gorges has embarked on its first-ever fundraiser to develop a preservation plan for the historic fort, parts of which are in need of structural repair and are overgrown with invasive vegetation.
A year after Fort Gorges was listed on the 2019 Maine Preservation's Endangered Places List, a nonprofit has embarked on a $500,000 mission to save the historic landmark on Casco Bay.
The Friends of Fort Gorges, which was formed in 2015, launched the "Your Fort" fundraising campaign this summer to support the development of a preservation plan for the former military site.
The campaign aims to raise $250,000 in private and corporate donations to match an amount pledged by the city of Portland, which owns the 156-year-old fort. It was completed in 1864 and modeled after Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C.
Originally intended as a defense against foreign naval powers, the imposing granite structure on Hog Island Ledge never saw military action and was used as a storage facility during both world wars.
In 1960, the federal government declared Fort Gorges to be surplus property and conveyed it to the city.
Today, it is a destination for kayak tours and at least one excursion boat, and is a widely photographed landmark easily seen from Portland's Eastern Promenade and from the Casco Bay ferries.
It is also decaying in parts and overgrown with invasive vegetation, both of which the Friends of Fort Gorges wants to reverse as it begins its first-ever fundraising effort. Its annual budget before this year was less than $50,000.
"There will never be another Fort Gorges," Paul Drinan, the nonprofit's executive director and only paid staff member, told Mainebiz by phone this week. "We absolutely must save it."
While few numbers are available on visitors to the fort, Drinan said that about 6,000 visited the fort in 2016 and contributed about $1 million to the local economy including at restaurants and hotels.
As it has for many nonprofits, COVID-19 forced the Friends of Fort Gorges to adjust 2020 plans.
Drinan said the group had intended to partner with the Portland Parks Commission to install educational signage at the site, but shifted priorities as a result of the pandemic.
Asked how confident he is of achieving the fundraising goal, Drinan said it's too early to say but also noted that the stock market has done pretty well, which may bode well for donations.
"It will be a learning experience for everyone," said Drinan.
Drinan also said that the group plans to make a year-end appeal for donations, which it has not done before, and is starting to have conversations about 2021 sponsorship.
He pointed to an agreement with the city and a partnership with Fore Points Marina to install a commercial gangway and float on the Portland waterfront next spring as a game-changer for his organization. The group runs tours to Fort Gorges on a recently launched tour boat named Fortitude.
"It's a big deal on several levels," he said. "Until now the Friends have been homeless, and this will be our first physical location. Given all that's going on in Portland, we need to get there now."
Shakespeare at the fort?
While structural repairs to the fort are a concern, Drinan said that it is suitable to hold cultural events now. In the longer term, he also envisions an outdoor performance venue that evokes Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London.
"We would like to see cultural events at Fort Gorges. It could be music, it could be food, it could be dance, it could be historic reenactments," he told Mainebiz, noting that a couple of events had already been held there.
"I personally would like to see a Shakespeare festival at Fort Gorges. We've already done lot of things to demonstrate the viability and desire. People want this, and we really just need the property owner to say 'yes.'"
Maine Preservation, which has issued its Most Endangered Historic Places every year since 1996, has said it will not put out list this year because of the pandemic, but continues to support local efforts to save endangered spots throughout the state.
Most Recent
Most Recent
1 Comments