Fort D named to National Register of Historic Places

Cape Girardeau’s Fort D, Missouri’s only surviving V-shaped, Civil War-era earthworks, has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Bill Eddleman, associate director of the Cape Girardeau Research Center of the State Historical Society of Missouri, said Tuesday the National Park Service placed Fort D on the national register last week.

“I am just delighted that it is on the national register,” said Eddleman, who aided in the effort to secure federal recognition for the site.

Eddleman and Scott and Patti House have been involved in efforts to preserve the site at 920 Fort St. on Cape Girardeau’s south side.

The three spent several years researching the history of Fort D and writing the national register application.

“Scott probably put in 75% to 80% of the effort,” Eddleman said.

Eddleman said the National Park Service cited the significance of Fort D to the State of Missouri in placing it on the national register, he said.

Cape Girardeau has more than 30 national register sites and nine historic districts.

But “there are very few” that have been recognized for their state significance as opposed to local significance, Eddleman said.

The site is significant as part of Cape Girardeau’s Civil War history. It was one of four forts built by the Union Army to protect Cape Girardeau. It is the only fort remaining in Cape Girardeau and the only surviving earthworks of all the forts that were built to protect Missouri’s major cities.

“They are all gone, except for one (Fort D),” House told the Southeast Missourian in May. “We have a fort that is smack dab in the city,” he said.

House said the earthworks are original, but were repaired in the 1930s through the efforts of the federal Works Progress Administration.

Fort D also is historic, he said, because of its Depression-era, limestone-covered brick building that stands on the grounds.

The building, however, has deteriorated. Its roof collapsed years ago.

City officials have promised to put a roof over the structure as part of a $200,000 tax-funded, improvement project at the site, which is a city park. But it is unclear when that will be scheduled.

Eddleman and House said Tuesday they hope the city will move ahead soon with the preservation project.

“I would hope that the city would have a little bit more impetus to get on the stick in terms of putting a roof over the building,” Eddleman said.

City planner Ryan Shrimplin said national-register status could result in the Missouri Department of Transportation installing directional signs to Fort D.

It also might garner federal, historic-preservation funding for improvements to Fort D in the future, according to Shrimplin.

But House said the real reward is having Fort D recognized nationally.

“It is a great honor,” he said.

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