Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee thankful for help from Fort Adams crew
PORTSMOUTH — Most months, the Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee selects a person who has made a significant contribution to the effort to restore the historic Revolutionary War earthwork fort.
In November, the committee decided to honor the Fort Adams work crew based on its assistance in clearing Butts Hill Fort.
The Fort, the largest fortification of its kind in southern New England, was given to the town of Portsmouth by the state in 1968. The site, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was last cleared of vegetation in 1976 for the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence. Since then, the Fort has been almost totally obscured by trees, bushes, vines, etc.
When the Restoration Committee twice put out the call for volunteers to help clean up the invasive vegetation, the Fort Adams work crew showed up on both occasions. It not only brought manpower, it also brought much needed power equipment and expertise. This allowed the Committee to complete its goal of clearing the entrance and the interior of the earthworks.
In 2006, the Fort Adams Trust was faced with clearing vegetation, particularly around the Southern Redoubt and the batteries outside the Fort to the south. Jack McCormack put together a group of volunteers that would meet to attack the problem.
By 2012, the efforts became weekly or bi-weekly with a crew of six to 12. The clearing of the Southern Redoubt culminated with a major effort by over 100 volunteers in 2016.
The crew of volunteers continues with maintenance of the Fort Adams property, which is why the Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee is most grateful the crew found time to assist with the clearing of the other Fort, the one at the north end of Aquidneck Island.
Special thanks go to Chris Zeeman, president of Fort Adams Trust, who not only rounded up the crew but also provided his truck and trailer to pick up a stump grinder.
Cleanup efforts at Butts Hill Fort have ended for this year. There is, however, much to be done to have the Fort ready for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation in 2026 and of the Battle of Rhode Island in 2028.
If you are interested in working on the committee or being put on the mailing list, contact us on Facebook or email Seth Chiaro at seth.chiaro@gmail.com.
A tip of the hat and a hearty thank you to the Fort Adams crew, the Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee’s Volunteers of the Month for November.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee gets help from Fort Adams
