Restoration
Fort Massachusetts had lain at the water's edge and wave action, not to mention the salt air, had seriously eroded the historic mortar, especially around the northeast bastion. A "Save the Fort" movement started by Mississippians in the 1960s had led to the establishment of Gulf Islands National Seashore, but unlike the Cape Hatteras Light, the fort is made of tons of brick and concrete and could not be relocated.
Beach nourishment is one way of protecting the fort landmark. To save tax dollars, the National Park Service piggy-backs on dredge projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The dredgers remove sand from ship channels and pump it around the fort. Consequently, a sandy beach is made to eliminate the water lapping at the structure's walls.
In addition, employees from the Historic Preservation Training Center stepped ashore in December 2001 to re-point, replace and reset as needed, the brick walls of the 135-year-old fort.
Read more about this topic: Fort Massachusetts (Mississippi)
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