Preserving Fort Stanton

In 2023, in a significant move to care for one of the most intact 19th-century military forts in the country, and the best-preserved fort in New Mexico, an interdisciplinary team of historians, architects and landscape architects issued the Fort Stanton Historic Site Cultural Landscape Report.

Located just outside of Lincoln, the 240-acre Fort Stanton is best known for its roles in the Indian Wars and the Civil War. The new report is valuable for understanding site conditions, preventing buildings from falling into disrepair and ensuring that future funding is allocated effectively.

The largely unoccupied and underutilized state of the site was deemed its greatest threat. Addressing this concern, the state legislature allocated $367,656 in 2023 and an additional $3.5 million was received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

“With the government funds, we have begun to address infrastructure needs,” says Oliver Horn, regional manager for New Mexico Historic Sites. “We still need private support for more public facing efforts, like educational programming, interpretive site signage and much more.”

This article and image are from the Museum of New Mexico Foundation’s Member News Magazine.