The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-01-13
WILL RESTORE
FORT RALEIGH
Task Has Been Set Aside
AS One OF CWA Objec-
tives
By ]. c. BASKERVILLE
The Iimes-N News Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel

RALEIGH. Jan. 13.-Old Fort
Raleigh. on Roanoke Island. site
of the first English colony IN
North Carolina. and founded in
1885 by the second expedition
sent over by Sir Walter Raleigh,
is to be restored. The proJec:
calling for the expenditure of
$4,000 and the rebuilding OF the
old fort, of more accurately OF
the first and original CITY OF
Raleigh" as it was first called by
the colorists who built it. has at
last been approved by MRS.
Thomas O'Berry. state civil works
Construction work
is expected to get under way next
week, under the general superVl-
sion of the department Of conseT-
walton and development. with
Frank Stick of Elizabeth CITY,
chairman of the recently appoint
ed North Carolina Coastal Devel,,
opment association, in personal
charge of the work.
1t has been known here that
this project has been under con-
sideration for some time. But 1T
could not be approved as CWA
project as long as the site OF the
old fort remained in the name OF
private individuals. This site since
1892 has been the property OF
the Roanoke Colony Memorial as
ISOLATION, which was organized for
the purpose of acquiring the land
upon which the old fort, or more
accurately. the original CITY OF
Raleigh" built by Sir Walters
second expedition. is supposed to
have been built. This site consists
of 1915 acres bordering on Roa-
noke Sound. on the northern tip
of Roanoke Island, some three
miles from Manteo, the county
seat of what is now Dare county
and of which Roaknoke Island Is
a part The last obstacle to the
restoration of the old fort was re-
moved this week, however. when
the Roanoke Colony Memorial as
ISOLATION decided the land embrac-
ing this site to the State Historl-
cal commission. thus making 1t
state-owned property and subject
to improvement with CWA funds.
Thus the dream of those who
started the Roanoke Colony Mem
orial association AZ years ago for
the purpose of acquiring the site
of the old settlement with a view
to eventually restoring it when
ever funds could be obtained, IS
about to come true. The deed
transferring the property from the
Colony Memorial association to
the State Historical commission
was recorded by the clerk of court
in Manteo on Thursday. Director
R. B. Etheridge of the department
of conservation and development
said today.
The conservation department,
which is expected to have general
not only over the
work of restoring the fort and
the original settlement on the
island, is also expected to have
general administration Of it after
it is completed, since it will IN
effect be similar to a state park,
despite the fact that the title is in
the name of the State Historical
commission. This department also
feels that it is unusually FORUM
ate in being able TO secure the
services of Mr.. Stick, to personal
" supervise the work of restora.
ton who as an artist, naturalist
and historian has given much
study to the plans for rebuilding
the old settlement. He has already
prepared drawing of the pro-
posed restoration of the settle.
ment, after an exhaustice research
into historical archives.
"Wbile I have been unable to
find any authoritative plan of the
original settlement, which inciden'
tally, was not only a fort, but an
entire settlement which included
the fort and called The City of
Raleigh by it's builders. ! am con
WINGED that the settlement was
considerably larger than has been
generally believed" Mr.. Stick said
in discussing his plans. "The ref
erences to the settlepent in some
of the historical soufces indicate
that several of the buildings, tho
built of logs. were quite large,
comfortable and commodious. So
we are planning to follow out the
plans of the original builders OF
the settlement and restore the
entire settlement as well as the
fort"
The present plans call for the
building of a split cedar palisade
around the entire site, as well as
the reconstruction of the fort and
other buildings within the enclos-
ure. 1t is also hoped that either
now or later. additional funds can
be obtained for the building of B
museum to house relics and OBJ
jects of historical interest. The
construction of a rustic, open all
pavilion is also contemplated
within the enclosure.
Valuable assistance to the en-
tire project has also been given
by Governor Ehringhaus. who has
been greatly interested in it, Mr..
Etheridge said.