Attachment-P_FOFR_Long_Range_Interpretive_Plan_2007.pdf

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Fort Frederica National Monument Georgia

Fort Frederica National Monument Long-Range Interpretive Plan

Attachment P

3faq ) D-~11 -

Fort Frederica National Monument Long-Range Interpretive Plan

Prepared by

Department of Interior National Park Service Harpers Ferry Center Department of Interpretive Planning and

Fort Frederica National Monument

May 2007

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

TECHNICAL INFORMATION CENTER

DENVER SERVICE CENTER

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Foundation for Planning 2 Planning Background 2 Park Purpose 2 Park Legislative Significance 3 Park Significance 3 Park Mission 4 Primary Interpretive Themes 4 Visitor Experience Goals 5 Park User and Audience Profiles 6

Existing Conditions, Issues, and Influences 7

Recommendations and Implementations Strategies 14 Staffing and Training 30 Implementation Priorities 30

Appendices 33 Location I Interpretive Service Guide 33 Current Park Staffing Diagram 36 Special Populations Guidance 37 Bibliography 48 Recommended Reading List 50 Planning Team and Consultants 51

Fort Frederica and the town of Frederica were established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia. In the early r8th century, the land lying between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida was known as the debat able land. This land (which we call Georgia today) became the nexus of a centuries-old imperial conflict between Spain and Britain. Troqps from Frederica successfully re pulsed a Spanish attempt to retake St. Simons Island, and consequently halted forever any further Spanish expansion in the Southeastern part of North America. After this threat was removed, the garrison at Fort Frederica was disbanded and the town fell into decline. The fate of Frederica is reminiscent of modern military towns that wither away when the installations that have sup ported their existence are suddenly obsolete.

Today Fort Frederica NM encom passes 250 acres of coastal lowland on the western shore of St. Simons Island. This includes the Bloody Marsh Battle Site, located 6 miles ·south of Fort Frederica's headquar ters. The National Monument pre serves the remains of this fortified colonial town, established and laid out by Governor James Oglethorpe in 1736 to defend against military incursions from the Spanish colo nies in Florida. In addition to the ruins of the King's Magazine and Barracks, excavated foundations of the town's primary residences reveal much about the people who lived here.

INTRODUCTION

Fort Frederica National Monument is located on St. Simons Island, Georgia, just off the coast from Brunswick, Georgia. St. Simons Island is one of the Georgia "Sea Islands", situated on the eastern sea board, approximately 6o miles due south of Savannah, Georgia and 65 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida

Frederica was a place on the edge of a frontier and on the cusp of a clash of empires. This plan will address how best to help visitors comprehend what it was like to live in such a place, subject to the whims of empire, the variables in human community, and the challenges of a frontier wilderness.

FOUNDATION FOR PLANNING

The Planning Process This Long-Range interpretive Plan (LRIP) recommends actions that should occur over the next seven to ten years. It identifies park themes, describes visitors experience goals, and recommends a wide variety of personal and non-personal interpretive services and outreach activities that will best communicate the park's purpose, significance and themes. In concert with the park's Annual Implementation Plan and Interpretive Database, it completes the park's Comprehensive Interpretive Plan, as established in D0-6. In addition, this planning process. has been customized to meet the Individual Park's needs, conditions, and special circum stances. The ultimate product is an effective and efficient interpretive program that achieves management goals, provides appropriate visitor opportunities, and facilitates desired visitor experiences.

Work on this LRIP began in Janu ary, 2005 when the Harpers Ferry Center Interpretive Planner traveled to Fort Frederica NM to meet with park staff, become familiar with park resources and facilitate an initial workshop that derived foundational elements of this plan.

A General Management Plan for Fort Frederica National Monument was completed in 2004. This LRIP will utilize and support many of the components that were derived in this GMP, emphasizing those related to identifying and managing for key visitor experiences, educating the public and assuring that critical management concerns are met.

Barring legislative changes or major new revelations, the foundational elements expresses in this LRIP -purpose, significance, themes, and visitor experience goals -will remain constant over the life of the plan.

Specific recommendations about media and programs may need to be updated as staffing, funding, technology, or resource conditions change. Further design documents must be produced to implement some of the goals and recommenda tions in this plan.

Park Purpose Park Purpose describes why an area was set aside and what specific purpose exists for this area. Purpose is derived from legislation, legisla tive history, public participation, and public rule making. Purpose state ments may reflect upon traditional purposes of preservation and enjoyment; the linkages between the management unit and its cul tural and natural resources, con nections with groups and areas external to the park, and language of the enabling legislation. Additional purposes may have emerged since this area was originally set aside.

Purpose Statements may originate in the park's GMP, previous planning documents, or in this case from an Interpretive Planning Workshop.

The purpose of Fort Frederica National Monument is to:

• Preserve and protect the his torical, archeological, and scenic resources associated with colo nial Frederica and to use those resources to educate, interpret, explain and illustrate the role of Fort Frederica in American his tory.

Park legislative Significance The Park Legislative Significance statement clarifies and reveals key components of the original enabling legislation and subsequent pertinent legislation that defines and describes the Park unit and its purpose.

Fort Frederica National Monu ment (FOFR) was established in 1936, "for the benefit and inspira tion of the people. Public Law 74-617 established Fort Frederica National Monument on St. Simons Island on May 26, 1936. The original act limited the site to So acres, but subsequent legislation Public Law 81-793 on September 20,1950 and Public Law 85-401 on May 16, 1958 increased the authorized bound ary to 100 acres and then 250 acres, respectively. The latter legislation also authorized acquiring the Battle of Bloody Marsh memorial site on St. Simons Island, and directed the acquisition of additional marshland acreage ensuring additional protec tion of the historic scene.

Park Significance Park Significance Statements de scribe the distinctiveness of the combined resources of this park unit. These statements can reflect upon natural, cultural, scientific, recreational, inspirational, and other resources. The statements embody the power of the place through a factual representation of what makes this place special. Usual ly stated as facts placed in relevant context, these statements summarize the essence of the importance of this park's resources to our natural and cultural heritage. Significances may evolve over time as a result of dis coveries and updates to our knowl edge about this place. Significance Statements may originate in the park's GMP, previous planning documents, or in this case from an Interpretive Planning Workshop.

Fort Frederica National Monument (FOFR) has national significance for the following reasons:

• Fort Frederica was an active, bustling, colonial, military town and home to a wide variety of residents, who in the end helped to shape our country's history.

•The National Monument con tains a remarkable breadth of intact arch eological resources of the colonial period and the site itself is important in the develop ment of historical archeology, as a science and as an educational medium.

•The settlement of Fort Frederica was home a t various times dur ing the Frederica period (1736- 1758) for General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder and first leader of the British colony of Georgia . John and Charles Wes ley, the founders of Methodism, were also residents during the Frederica period.

• Fort Frederica National Monu ment commemorates the British victor y over the Spanish on St.

Simons Island that effectively ended the Spanish claim to Geor gia and the Carolinas.

Foundation for Plannrng

Significance statements describe the importance or distinctiveness of the resources of an area.

Foundation for Planning

Primary themes should be few enough in number to provide focus for the interpretive program, but numerous enough to represent the full range of park signifi cance.

Park Mission The Mission Statement integrates the Statements of Purpose and Significance for the National Monu ment, describing the reason the park exists and the contribution it makes to understand an important part of our nation's history. The mission goals are derived from this state ment.

The mission of the National Mon ument is more than preserving the physical remnants of Frederi:a· It is also important to preserve 1ts unique sense of antiquity and to use this time capsule as a tool to educate present and future gener ations about the nation's colonial past.

Mission Goals

1.All cultural resources and their relationships with the land are protected and preserved.

2.Visitors safely enjoy and are satisfied with the availability, ac cessibility, diversity, and quality of park facilities, services, and appropriate recreational oppor tunities.

3.Fort Frederica National Monu ment uses current management practices, systems, and technol ogies to accomplish its mission

4.Fort Frederica National Monu ment increases its develop mental capabilities through volunteerism, partnerships, and grants.

Park Primary Interpretive Themes Primary interpretive themes are those ideas and concepts that are key to helping visitors gain an under standing of the park's significance and resources. The themes, whkh are based on the park's mission, purpose, and resource significance, provide the foundation for all .

interpretive media and programs m the park. The themes do not include everything that may be interpreted, but they do address those ideas that are critical to understanding and appreciating the park's importance.

The majority of interpretive efforts (through both personal and non personal services) should relate to one or more of the themes and each theme should be addressed by some part of the overall interpretive. .

program. Effective interpretatiOn IS achieved when visitors are able to connect the concepts with the resources and derive something meaningful from their experience.

Primary [nterpretive Themes ma~ originate in the park's GMP, pre~ ous planning documents, or m ~s case from an Interpretive Plannmg Workshop.

The following theme statements will provide the basis for interpretation at the park (the numbers do not denote any prioritization):

1.Results of the Battles of Gully Hole Creek and Bloody Marsh destroyed the dreams of the Spanish for empire and cement ed British control of the south ern colonies.

2.The colonial town of Frederica was a classic example of the symbiotic relationship bern:een a military base and supporting residential community.

3.Civilian life in the colonial town site of Frederica was a study in adaptability and flexibility in the face of hardship and social vari ance.

4· The archeological discoveries at Fort Frederica reveal a mul titude of personal stories and historical revelations.

5.The early history of the colony and the town of Frederica re flects Oglethorpe's liberal social philosophy and his attempt to establish Georgia as a utopian society.

Visitor Experience Goals Visitor experience goals describe what physical, intellectual, sensory, and emotional experiences should be available for visitors. These expe riences should be available to visi tors of all abilities and backgrounds, including those with visual, auditory, mobility, or cognitive impairments.

Superintendent Mike Tennent ex pressed that one of his primary goals as a manager, was to have people un derstand that Frederica was once a bustling, active, thriving community.

Visitors to Fort Frederica National Monument (FOFR) will have the opportunity to:

1. Learn about I experience Fred erica in a wide variety of meth ods.

2.Learn that Fort Frederica is an early British Town site, not just a fort.

3.Experience demonstrations of musket I cannon firing and see I talk to demonstrators.

4.Enjoy and understand are source of Fort Frederica.

5.Understand the value of archeol ogy.

6.Appreciate life, then and now.

7· Understand the beginning of the history of Georgia.

8.Enjoy social relaxation and spending time with family and friends.

9.Receive explanations by Rangers of significant aspects of Fred erica.

ro.lmagine if they could make it here or quit.

n.Get a chance to experience a place.

12.Leave with a concept of why Frederica is important to them.

13.Leave knowing that FOFR is a unit of the National Park Sys tem.

Foundation for Planning

"Visitor Experience is what people do, sense, feel, think, and learn. It is affected by experiences prior to the visit and affects behavior after the visit.

The ultimate goal of interpretation is for visitors to experience strong emotional and intellectual connections with the meanings represented in park resources and as a result become better stewards of these places which characterize our national heritage.

Foundation for Planning

Park Use and Audience Profiles The majority of this profile and visitor information is based on staff observation and experience, rather than analytical assessment.

Fort Frederica is enjoyed by a wide variety of visitors. Many who visit have little prior knowledge of the Park or the events that occurred here. For them, this is not a primary destination. The average stay is ap proximately 1 to 2 hours.

Fort Frederica received approxi mately 255,500 visitors in 2004. The park receives a significant amount of drive through traffic that never really experiences the site. From 1995 to 2004 highest visitation occurred in 1997 (336,805) and lowest in 2002 (243,676). The park has seen a slight increase since 2002. The park's peak visitation occurs March-May and our lowest visitation occurs in Sep tember and january. The decrease in September is likely due to children returning to school.

Out-of-town visitors make up a large percentage of Park visitors. The ma jority seem to originate in the North east and upper Midwest. Quite a few senior citizen couples visit the park, a high percentage visiting from October- February, possibly snow birds. The majority of summer visi tors are family groups.

The occasional park special events are well attended mostly by local constituents.

The following is a list of visitor ac tivities in 2004:

21,388 - Watched the park orienta tion film "This is Frederica".

5,157 -Tour groups 2,883 - Park Education Programs 2,760 - Formal Interpretation (Talks/Tours) 956 - Living History Programs 574 - Informal Interpretation (Roving)

In addition to the above, a surpris ing number of visitors access the park without even really seeing it.

They ride buses and the St. Simons Island trolley, participate in a "hedge tour" and don't even get out of their vehicles.

7, 232 - Bus Drive By 4,528 - Trolley Drive By

EXISTING CONDITIONS, ISSUES AND INFLUENCES

The following is a summary of visi tor experiences and conditions as they existed at the onset of this plan ning process.

Previsit and Arrival Information Information about Fort Frederica National Monument is available by mail, phone, and on the parks web site. No analysis has been done re garding website effectiveness. Infor mation is also in several guide books Uke AAA and other Southeastern area travel magazines.

The familiar brown and whjte NPS arrowhead signs are evident on Interstate 95 as it passes through southern Georgia. Way finiling signs are strategically located on the Tor ras Causeway and throughout the road system on Saint Simons Island.

An advantage of being on an island is there is only one ingress/egress on and off the island.

Most visitors arrive via car from I-95 and travel onto the island via the F.].

Torres Causeway. On the causeway visitors are directed via NPS ar rowhead sjgns toward the park. In adilition to the arrowhead signs, the Golden Isles Convention and Visitor Center has placed wooden signs throughout the island that list area attractions. Most Park pro duced signs meet the NPS Identity Standards. Brunswick and Golden Isles rely heavily on the tourism industry. Located on the mainland at the entrance to the causeway is a convention and visitors bureau welcome center, information about Fort Frederica National Monument and other area attractions can be obtained there, as well as the St.

Simons Visitor Center located in the village of St. Simons.

Starting in 2004 weekly interpre tive program fliers were distributed throughout the island. Locations where these fliers were placed included the welcome center, St.

Simons Visitor Center, King and Prince Resort, Sea Palms Resort, Quality Inn and on Sea Island. By far the St. Simons Visitor Center gave out the most fliers to the public, followed by the Quality Inn and the King and Prince. No correlation has been established between site visits and distribution of program fliers.

There are opportunities for im provement in getting the word out about the site. The middle of the island (where Fort Frederica NM is located) is very under used and is usually a destination at the end of the day.

Existing Conditions

Visitor Center When the visitor arrives at Fort Frederica National Monument they are directed to the visitor center.

Fee signs in the parking area indicate to visitors that fees should be paid in the Visitor Center (VC). Once inside the VC the visitor passes through a small bookstore/gift shop area to the information desk, which is utilized for orientation, fee collection and merchandise sales through the Fort Frederica Association cooperating association. An NPS representative staffs both the information area, and the sales area. The Visitor Center and Park are open every day of the year, except for Christmas day. In the future, the VC may be replaced when it has reached the end of its usable life.

Bookstore The Fort Frederica Association bookstore is very small and carries mainly books, small gifts and colo nial reproduction pottery. In the past items did not have interpretive text attached to them, but now do.

Given the small space of the visitor center the bookstore is quite small and could be improved upon.

Museum I Exhibits Once the visitor has been properly oriented at the desk they then move into the museum. The museum consists mainly of numerous cases of artifacts that were found on the site. There is one diorama that depicts the Battle of Bloody Marsh and one that was donated by a local resident. The main showcase of the museum is the floor map that de picts the layout of the town site and is used by the staff to give brief talks about the town and its people. The floor map is very popular, especially with repeat visitors. On one wall of the museum a temporary exhibit attempts to illustrate the diver-sity of people who lived here - the Indians, Spanish Missionaries and Germans. Another exhibit high lights the archeological education program. Generally visitors explore the museum in a counter-clockwise fashion.

According to Harpers Ferry Cen ter records, exhibit elements and designs in the Fort Frederica visitor center date to the 1970s. The last major rehabilitation of the exhibits happened in the mid-r98os, with some additional revisions and ad ditions by the park more recently.

Museum technology and our under standing of history has progressed significantly in the last twenty years and as a result these visitor center exhibits are now perhaps the weak est and most outdated links in the park's interpretive media program.

One of the most obvious weak nesses is the lighting in the exhibit room, and the dedicated lighting for artifacts and graphics. The bright est room lights are located in ceiling recesses, drawing attention upward where there is no message. The wall detailing along the edges of the ceiling was probably intended to symbolize the crenellated walls of the magazines and barracks, but the effect is probably lost for most visi tors. The strongest interpretive and educational element in the room the town model- is very weakly lit. The most important details of the model- the houses, streets, and military structures are hard to see against the reflections of the ceiling lights in the clear model cover.

Artifact cases are also dimly lit, and their flat acrylic tops reflect the ceil ing lights. Labels in the cases iden tify objects by name, which is useful, but do not provide insights into why they are significant or meaning-ful to to day's visitors. Some of the newer cases outfitted by the park are equipped with internal light ing which is more effective than the cases that rely on ceiling track lights alone.

Because the exhibit units were added to and modified over a long period of time, there is no longer any consistent design approach, style, and quality. The original design is from the post-Mission 66 period, which used a case and panel format, but which added elements more common to the 1970s such as life-size cutouts of figures from period engravings, and architectural design elements such as the tabby block groundwork The large cut outs helped to set a tone and intro duce broad themes but were lacking in content.

There is little consistency in the way graphic panels and cases are de signed-their color, texture, materi als, and labeling. There is seldom a clear hierarchy of information in exhibit units, making it difficult to quickly comprehend the main idea of each exhibit. Beyond the titles, in many instances, visitors must go directly to the artifacts, models, or images without primary labels to convey the significance and meaning of these details.

Type is too small on many units, and fonts are not consistent due to the incremental additions of new units planned, designed, and produced by succeeding generations of staff and contractors. The exhibit area fea tures baskets containing pine cones, corn, and other natural items, but their purpose is unclear.

Although the current displays contain interesting and significant artifacts, models, props, graphics, and written content, the overall presentation does not have a con sistent and user-friendly look and feel. The many modifications to the original design have compromised the original intent of the design-ers, but even if that remained, the exhibit would have minimal impact on today's visitor. Additions like the children's archeology exhibit, the historic clothing exhibit, and the in sect activity barometer provide valu able experiences and information.

New exhibits could incorporate all the needed exhibit purposes into a consistent and professional design which would better meet the mod ern visitors' needs, engage visitors' interest more strongly, give a more elegant appearance, and be easier to maintain and sustain.

There are also exhibits located in the breezeway that are changed peri odically. Most address commonly asked questions regarding subjects like Spanish moss and the orange trees. Special emphasis months are also highlighted, Black History Month, Women's History month and how they relate to Fort Fred erica.

Touchscreen exhibits were added in 2006 and they highlight archeol ogy, the military and civilians. They also give the visitor opportunities to learn about volunteering. Future additions include area information.

Audiovisual There is one-push button audio program that accompanies the floor map. Currently a 24-minute film, "History Uncovered" is shown daily, every half hour, in the theater.

"History Uncovered" concentrates on three aspects of Frederica: the military aspect, the townspeople and the archeological aspects of the site.

Touring the Town Site Once oriented to the site the visi tor can visit the town by self-guided tour. Located throughout Frederica Towne there are 35 wayside exhibits that show artist conceptions of what the house sites may have looked like and some contain reproduction ar tifacts which depict what was found on the site. The visitor is guided toward the fort and then returns by way of the barracks. Street signs and alley signs and the mow pattern try to give the visitor the look and feel of a town.

There is also an herb and vegetable garden and tabby making dem onstration area (the combination of burned sea shells, water, and sand used for construction by the colonists). Visitors can access these areas before they enter the town site and the area is used by interpreters to give programs. This area serves as the visitor interactive area where hands on activities are done by the interpreters.

There is a digital audio tour that can be obtained at the visitor cen ter, complete with sound effects of a bustling, vibrant town. The tour has good information and provides the visitor with immersion into the resource.

The existing waysides do an admi rable job of creating an outdoor museum. An innovative use of reproduction artifacts was employed by positioning artifact boxes next to the waysides. The artifact boxes con tain replicas of actual artifacts found at the sites. If the park decides to continue with the practice of using artifact boxes the text should inform visitors that these are reproduction items and should explain the origi nal use of the items.

The sheer number of waysides is a bit overwhelming and confus-ing. There is no one intuitive route through the site that leads visitors past every wayside. A visitor who wanted to read every wayside would need to double back or zigzag around the site. There is no organiz ing principal to guide a visitor who doesn't want to read all of the way sides but did want to see the most interesting I important sites (a real need for visitors with limited time).

Finally, the number of waysides and the wayside landscaping (or lack of wayside landscaping) presents a cluttered look.

The waysides look a bit dated and don't conform to the new identity standards. Fortunately the existing waysides include many elements that can be reused in the updated waysides. Graphics and text in the existing waysides is site specific and the text, in particular, is well written.

Personal Services Interpretive programs are offered to the public on weekends. A variety of interpretive programs are given which may include a hands-on mus ket drill or tours. Throughout the year, school groups, Elder hostels and tour companies bring groups to the fort and are given the opportu nity to have a ranger-led program.

These programs vary depending on the group, time required and staff availability. Roving I Informal Interpretation takes place on the grounds.

During the summer month's pro grams are offered 3 times a day and consist of an archeology program, tours of the town site, hands-on musket drill and tabby making. Top ics and lengths of programs vary.

Children may complete the Junior Ranger program and receive a badge and certificate. The booklet consists of n activities and seven must be completed. Activities can be done in the Visitor Center as well as on the park grounds. In 2007, a new Junior Ranger booklet and program are be ing provided.

School Programs A unique partnership between the Glynn County School System and the Monument was developed in 1994. The program is integrated into the fourth grade curriculum. The school program crosses over many different types of core curriculum standards such as language arts, sci ence, math and social studies. This partnership emphasizes the histori cal archeology of Fort Frederica and early Georgia history. This curricu lum-based education program for 4th grade students includes pre-visit information, a tour of the town site with total immersion of the site at different programming areas with

. different staff members, a dig, lab work and a post-visit lesson. The students learn about all aspects of archeology; from conducting research about a site to analyzing artifacts in the laboratory. The park has a working field school site and an archeology lab at Oglethorpe Point Elementary School. At the end of the program, students write a Site Report, which serves as an assess ment tool. Both the Glynn Country School System and the park employ an Archeology Education Coordina tor. The program has won numer ous awards and is a one-of-a-kind National Park Service program.

Rangers also provide educational programs in the Glynn County School System and other area schools when requested.

Trail System The Monument's primary trail system is the pathway leading across the Fort grounds. The "yacht club" property and riverfront are areas that can be explored and trails developed, combining the natural elements and their use by settlers.

Museum Collection and Library Fort Frederica NM has a museum collection of over 26,ooo objects and archival materials. Most of the archeological material is stored at SEAC (South East Archeological Center) in Tallahassee, Florida. The major collection of Archival material -- the Margaret Davis Cate Collec tion --is stored by loan agreement at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah, Georgia.

The items stored at FOFR and SEAC are not physically accessible to public researchers, but research as sistance is granted on a case-by-case basis. The Margaret Davis Cate Col lection is physically accessible at the Ge~rgia Historical Society during ~vrulable hours. The ultimate goal IS to host a researchable list of the collection via the internet to allow fuller research accessibility.

A small research library is main tained at the Ranger Office, acces sible to the public on a case by case basis.

Park Partners

· Fort Frederica Association (History Association)

· Fort King George State Park

•Coastal Georgia Historical Society (St. Simons Lighthouse and Mu seum of Coastal History)

•Castillo de San Marcos

• Park Volunteers

•Glynn County School District

•Georgia Historical Society

Current Staffing As of FY 2005 the interpretive division consists of one GS-0025-II Chief of Interpretation, two GS- 0025-09 Park Rangers (one dedicat ed as the Education Specialist), one GS-0090-05 Park Guide, two inter mittent GS-0303-04 Visitor Use As sistants and several volunteers. The interpretive staff performs a variety of duties including; fee collection, working the Visitor Center desk, and conducting interpretive programs for visitors, school groups and tour g!oups. NPS staff also manages the Fort Frederica Association sales area, including administration of the bookstore, stocking, inventory, and sales. Although running the book store directly benefits the park, using an N PS employee to perform these ~uties slightly impacts the interpre tive program.

Interpretive Publications

Site Bulletins

•Abbott Monument •Gardens

• Mary Musgrove

• Archaeology

• Armies, Weapons •British Flag •Tabby

• Moore's Journal •Insects

• Brief History of the Fort •Charles and John Wesley

Booklets

•Junior Ranger

Fort Frederica Association Publications

• Phoebe's Secret Diary •Bloody Summer of1742

• Frederica: Colonial Fort and Town

•The First Families of Frederica:

Their Lives and Locations

• Women on the Colonial Frontier •The Germans of Frederica •British Officer & St. Simons Is-land Planter: The Story of Cap tain Raymond Demere'

•A Voyage to Georgia

Issues and Influences These safety, resource, and man agement issues could be addressed through interpretation.

Visitor-related resource issues

• Visitors entering and impacting the ruins

• Visitors' lack of awareness that picking up artifacts is damaging to the resource and illegal

• Illegal collection of natural items, oranges, and Spanish moss

• Visitor-related resource issues

· (Noise from drive-by "hedge tours" bus groups, as well as pollution cre ated by these vehicles

Safety issues

·Banks near the fort are slippery and a drowning hazard exists

·Boaters get stranded at low tide on a recurring basis

·Injuries occurring when visitors go into the ruins (e.g. oyster shell cuts

• Hazardous trees throughout the park with low lying limbs, which occasional break off and fall

•After hours illegal activity (there are no law enforcement personnel on duty)

• Numerous insects, some carrying potentially dangerous diseases

Other Management Issues

• Long-term preservation of archeo logical I cultural I natural resources

•Christ Church I Sea Island Compa ny Land Exchange and the possible addition of Oglethorpe's home site

• Preservation of the aesthetic beauty and sensory experiences of the site and sense of antiquity

• Visitor understanding and appre ciation of this historical period

• Preservation of the integrity of the approach to the National Monu ment from Frederica Road and the view toward the marsh

• Using archeology to educate pres ent and future generations about the past

• Physical access to the site to experi ence what was a vibrant community

RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

The ultimate goal of all recommendations is to support management's strategies and to provide visitors opportunities to connect with the meanings inherent in tbis park's resources.

Interpretive planning assesses cur rent conditions and formulates recommenda6ons that will provide direction and focus to achieve the desired Future Interpretive Program.

The discussion of each program or media proposal identifies its place within the overall strategy; and spe cial considerations: and sometimes will suggest specific theme I location pairing to facilitate a desired inter pretive outcome. These suggestions should provide a framework for the park's strategic vision, but should not limit the creativity and scope so essential when planning specific p rograms and media. A complete listing of Interpretive Activity I Lo cation recommendations that were generated by park staff is included in the Appendix. This listing con tains both long-term and short-term recommendations and may be very helpful when preparing the Annual Implementation Plan and related funding requests.

A primary challenge for interpreters at Fort Frederica is to help visitors visualize, understand, and appreci ate as a living town and fort, what is today a relatively flat, garden-like landscape with no soldiers or set tlers. Only remains of the Kings Magazine and the Barracks protrude into the scene to provide hints of the past. It is fortunate that subsequent development of the town site did not occur, so that the park is able to preserve and utilize these genuine remnants of history to engage and enlighten park visitors.

The traditional visitor experience of Ft. Frederica begins by driving north on St. Simons Island on Frederica Rd. and entering the park at the main entrance. An op6onal visit to the Bloody Marsh site may come before or after visiting the town.

Mter leaving the parking lot visitors enter the Visitor Center to pay their fee and to make use of the other services in the headquarters com plex. They may view the film and/or exhibits either before or after walk ing to the town site. They also may speak with a ranger here. Leaving the Visitor Center via the breezeway they may then walk along the trace of the Military Road to the west to the burying ground, or east to the town site and fort. Once through the town gate, the remnants of the fort draw visitors to the west and the banks of the Frederica River. The height and visibility of the barracks ruins draws many visitors in that direction-usually on the way back to the Visitor Center.

Pre-Visit Orientation, Information, and Way finding General and trip planning informa tion regarding Fort Frederica Na tional Monument will continue to be provided by traditional means such as regular mail, phone requests and questions, and e-mail. All mailed in formation should include the park's web site address, so that visitors may easily access more in-depth informa tion. Critical information regarding access, weather, and insects should be included in all communications.

Good pre-trip informa6on may also lead to more in-depth visits and less "drive through" by potential visitors.

Adequate clear information should be provided at some distance from the park so that potential visitors are given the tools and motivations with which to make a decision as to whether to visit the park.

Recommendations:

• Update training for all employees on park information, way finding, and informal visitor contacts. Park staff should understand the value in providing excellent visitor services.

•Assure that up-to-date orienta tion information is available at our partners' sites and related tourist contact points.

• Develop an updated Park Sign Plan that includes the wayfinding signs that direct v·isitors to the site and peripheral areas. These signs should provide direction and en hance agency identity in this region of the country. They should be of a consistent, recognizable d.e sign which would develop greater "brand identity" for the park

• Expand orientation /information training to include staff from part ners' sites, related tourist contact points, and personnel from local tourist accommodations.

• Expand the depth of information on the park's internet site. This is an excellent venue to whet the ap petite of the potential park visitor, while providing solid way finding information. Overviews of safety and the bug hazard are critical as well. This can also be a wellspring of information to historians and academics, which look to the park for solid research and information.

• Review printed and electronic tourism literature promoting Fort Frederica and associated sites to as sure that it is accurate, appropriate, and up to date.

· Develop and improve orientation/ informational literature and dis plays for regional tourism contact points including the Brunswick Airport. These may include rack cards, portable or permanent ex hibits, "table tent" displays, place mats, and cardboard cut-out rang ers crafted to dispense literature.

Arrival and Orientation The visitor is welcomed to the park with a traditional, albeit older, park entrance sign and directional signs to the parking areas. As mentioned previously, a significant quantity of visitor traffic enters the park via bus, but does not have the opportunity to enter the visitor center. Alternate methods of arrival (e.g. water ac cess) to the site may provide greater visitor understanding and create new interpretive opportunities.

Recommendations:

• Although the Parking Area and en trance to the Visitor Center should not be cluttered with exhibits, a new orientation sign should be pro vided on the approaching walk-way that orients the visitor via a map

. and simple instructions as to the options for exploration. Informa tion on the fee system and hazards while visiting would be appropriate here as well (insects, heat, etc ... ) This sign should be consistent in design with the way finding guid ance in other wayside exhibits.

• Visitors' transition from a modern built environment to a colonial ruin site is fairly rapid on the traditional approach. An alternative way to experience the park would be to provide a method by which visitors approach the site by water-per haps the way many colonists arrived in the first place. In this scenario, visitors would have an option to

Recommendations board a modest size excursion boat from the vicinity of the St. Simons Island Lighthouse. Once the boat passed under the Torres Causeway Bridge and headed north, visitors would enter into a more natural, environment with fewer structures and modern intrusions, much like the colonial period. While en route to the town site, visitors could have time to tune out modern distrac tions and learn more about the historic town through a ranger talk and/or an AV presentation, exhibits, and publications. Basic way finding and safety information could be in stilled as well. With this preparation, visitors could land at the town site in a fairly historical setting with no signs, vehicles, utility poles, or other indications of modern development.

Some renovation of the dock would be necessary to reinforce the historic scene, while assuring visitor safety.

The visitor center buildings would be distant, and mostly screened by trees and shrubs. This approach to the town would have a powerful feeling of a trip back in time. The park could make this special ap proach to the park possible through arrangements with a local boat op erator or cooperating partners.

Visitor Center The primary visitor contact point is at the visitor center complex, which is adjacent to the administrative building, connected by a breezeway that contains the public restroom facilities. A disabled access ramp is available from the entrance walk.

When entering the Visitor Center, visitors are greeted with an informa tion desk and Fort Frederica Asso ciation sales outlet. A 2005 orienta tion video is offered in a separate theatre to the left and the remainder of the building houses a set of ex hibits.

Recommendations:

• The Visitor Center Theatre is cur rently accessed through two doors which are set into the left-hand wall just past the Museum Store.

Current signs may not be effective enough to bring desired quantities of visitors into the theatre. It would be more effective to mark only one entrance, closest to the main Visi tor Center Door, and create a new panel introducing the video pre sentation along with a schedule of showings. The use of an old movie poster design might be considered, to grab visitor's attention. Staff should recommend this outstand ing production as high on the prior ity list, especially for any first-time visitor who needs orientation to Frederica's story.

•The book sales area is still function al and displays a very good array of relevant titles which are important vehicles for detailed interpretation which visitors can carry home with them. It would add to the visitors understanding if a majority of the non-book sales items were to con tinue to have park- designed inter pretive text associated with them.

• Because the park is relatively com pact, and most visitors have the opportunity to see the new film, these exhibits have the opportunity to do what exhibits do best-draw visitors into the park story using the power of artifacts, models, dramat ic graphics, and newer interactive devices. They should not do what exhibits often do poorly-trying to tell the whole story like a "book on a wall." Artifact presentation can be improved by carefully selecting objects that reveal the meanings of Frederica, by utilizing objects ac quired since the last exhibit design, by connecting them directly to the story, and by positioning them and lighting them in a way that is acces sible to all visitors. Consideration should be given to replacing large black and white line drawings with color images that convey the de sired themes but which also contain detail to invite visitors to look more closely. Some of the more interest ing images in the current exhibits are those in the archeology exhibit.

Some of these would have a greater impact if they were larger rather than all close to the same size as in a scrapbook.

The town model is a very effective piece conveying a wealth of infor mation. Consideration should be given to upgrading it for use in the new exhibits. Attention should be given to improving lighting, and making any corrections to the model's content based upon the up dated historical and archeological record. There may also be a place in a new exhibit for the Bloody Marsh diorama, which could also be utilized to place Frederica and Bloody Marsh in geographic context. Parks with dioramas from this period are divided on whether to retain them or not. It may be worthwhile to investigate whether it is truly an effective means of inter pretation. With some rehabilitation, it could provide a useful view of the military story and accommodate a wider range of learning styles.

A new exhibit program in the visi tor center could take advantage of the wealth of new museum exhibit technologies available today, and make more accessible the results of recent archeology and new schol arship. It could also connect with a more diverse audience than the old exhibits. It may be possible to continue to use the large picture window in the exhibit room as an element in the exhibit program, perhaps as a scrim exhibit with the town site today in the background and a painting of the historic scene as the foreground scrim art.

Because Frederica is principally an archeological site today and not a display of original or reconstructed structures, visitors' perception of most of Frederica is cut off at the foundation level. Visitors do not see, as they would at Williamsburg, a full scale, first -story view of the exteriors and interiors of houses, shops, fortifications, barracks, and other structures as they might have appeared at the time. A series of immersive exhibits blending exhibit technologies with historic fur nishings settings could help bring Frederica's missing dimensions into focus. Using perhaps four corners of the room, the exhibits could replicate settings such as 1) a bar racks room with life-cast soldiers, a bastion interior with weapons, Oglethorpe working at his desk with Mary Musgrove, a scene from the candle maker's house, or children playing on a back porch.

These settings might allow visi-

. tors to enter and become aware of sounds associated with the ac tivities shown. Reader rail barriers might display original artifacts as sociated with the scenes in buffered cases. These might be used for living history vignettes as well.

A Visitor Center Schematic Plan should be considered for the Visitor Center and the Breezeway. This plan would specify visitor experi ence opportunities for this facility, more specifically relate Interpre tive Themes to particular exhibit designs and content, create bubble diagrams or floor plans, a visitor walkthrough narrative, and provide three dimensional views of the pro-posed exhibits, desk and sales area.

It could also inform and support the further design work that would be necessary for the alternatives listed above.

Today the breezeway and lawn areas are used as staging areas for living history talks. Immersive exhibit settings could also be used in programs, with rangers gath ering people in one setting, and then moving to another one or out to the town site. When outdoor conditions are not favorable for programs, small groups could be accommodated inside in the exhibit area with a multitude of props at hand to illustrate the program.

Artifacts at Frederica are power ful interpretive tools, but are also part of the core park resource that visitors have a right to see. The ex hibit room should continue to be a display area for significant objects, or those that facilitate the telling of the park's story. There should also be a new exhibit on the continuing history of park archeology, includ ing reference to the ongoing school programs. Today, using digital graphics it would be easy to regu larly update displays on the arche ology programs.

Breezeway The Breezeway offers a possibility for breathing new life into the opera tion and effectiveness of the visitor center. Consideration should be given to relocating there the ranger contact desk, general information, fee collection, and publications sales. This realignment would free up considerable space in the exhibit room to have larger scale exhibits that would not conflict with person al services functions at the desk.

Recommendat ions:

•Converting the breezeway to a glass enclosed area would offer rangers a better view of visitors corning and going to and from the parking lot and would make it ~asier to provide directions and orientation for visi tors. The glazed areas might extend from waist height to the ceiling, utilizing the existing brick knee walls. If more connection to the outside is desired, windows could be designed to be opened, weather permitting.

The new sunroom space should be air conditioned. The breeze way would then help to moderate temperature and humidity changes in the exhibit room, offering some of the advantages of an air lock.

There would be ample space for fee collection and the information desk function. The ranger offices would remain easily accessible. Directing all visitors through this new orien tation space would help prevent visitors from avoiding the entrance fee. Other walking routes from the parking lot to the town site would be reserved for disabled and official use only.

The sunroom would accommodate all informational needs of visitors, as distinguished form the inter-pretive content presented in the museum space. Media elements in that room could cover fees, insects, directions, how to use your time, passports, program schedules, and partner information. A sales area there would have more space than the existing one, and would be available to visitors more easily both coming and going.

Entry into the museum or exhibit area could be a transition into a quieter, controlled environment designed to take visitors back in time. Some soundscape design in this space could be effective, and would be insulated from the ranger desk function. The link age between the exhibits and the film would be good, since these are codependent functions.

Repurposing the breezeway would have the advantage of increasing the space used by visitors and rang ers, without increasing the foot print of the building on the historic site.