Fort Scott National Historic Site: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Fort Scott National Historic Site

Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Fort Scott National Historic Site (NHS) was established on October 19, 1978 "to commemorate the significant role played by Fort Scott in the opening of the west, as well as the Civil War and strife in the State of Kansas that preceded it...." Fort Scott NHS is located in the southeastern part of the state of Kansas near the Missouri border, situated on a limestone bluff. The park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, consists of 20 historic structures (11 original, nine reconstructed), a parade ground, and nearly five acres of restored tallgrass prairie situated on 16.69 acres of land. These historic structures approximate the appearance of the fort as it existed from 1842-1853. Located at the northern edge of the downtown district of the city of Fort Scott, the landscape and historic structures that comprise the site are a culturally significant resource representing a primary period of American military history. The fort landscape is considered significant from its establishment in 1842 until 1853, when the original fort was abandoned by the army. Fort Scott was part of a chain of army posts constructed for the purpose of peacekeeping efforts along what was considered the “Permanent Indian Frontier,” the vague separation between the established Union states and unorganized western territories. The site was chosen for its elevated position and access to water and timber. As with other frontier forts, Fort Scott featured a parade ground surrounded by an array of barracks and support buildings. Although military occupation ended with the rise of westward settlement, the fort encouraged the development of the city and continued to support other functions related to particular phases of American history. The second period at Fort Scott, 1853-1861, was not officially military and many fort buildings became the town of Fort Scott. This period is notable for the “Bleeding Kansas” episode, a period of civil unrest and violence as pro-slavery and pro-Union citizens casted votes to determine Kansas’s position leading to the Civil War. Particular buildings at Fort Scott became strongholds for advocates of the opposing sides. The third period focuses on the town as a Union military complex during the Civil War, including the years 1861-1865. The strategically located position was routinely threatened by Confederate forces, but never attacked. The Civil War-era fort was much larger than the original fort, including portions of the town. The fourth period identified for Fort Scott is 1869-1873, during which time the U.S. Army headquarters for the Post of Southeast Kansas was located here. Its military mission was to protect and facilitate construction of a railroad from Fort Scott to the border of Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Despite some local opposition, the railroad was completed in 1873 and the army closed the post. The site is the only established area of the National Park System which has been restored to represent a frontier fort that was constructed, maintained, and garrisoned by the U.S. Army during the period of 1842-1853. As the town developed and the functions of the fort evolved, the character of the original landscape changed and some buildings were removed or remodeled. Other parks and areas exist that are historically related to Fort Scott, but their respective historic scenes have not been restored to the extent of Fort Scott National Historic Site for this general period. The landscape possesses a low level of historic integrity because it retains few intact historical features; still, its configuration, historic reconstructions, and position within the surrounding landscape help to convey the significance of the fort landscape to settlement of the American West.

Fort Scott National Historic Site: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Fort Scott National Historic Site

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