As chair of the Fort Sewall Oversight Committee, Larry Sands has been on the frontlines of looking after one of Marblehead’s most notable landmarks. He and his fellow members are responsible for preserving the history of the fort while simultaneously improving it for the future.
Fort Sewall is the oldest military fort on the Northeast coast. Originally known as Gale’s Head Fort, it was originally constructed in the 17th century. It’s original purpose was to protect the town’s fishing and shipping fleets. The United States Congress returned the 2.5 acres of land to the town on Feb. 25, 1922.
The Fort Sewall Oversight Committee is appointed by the Select Board. It was first formed more than 25 years ago with the main mission of overseeing the fort’s continued restoration. The committee has traditionally been represented with members of organizations that relate to historic preservation, such as Glover’s Regiment, the Historical Commission, and Recreation and Parks Commission.
Sands has been involved with the committee since its inception, and explained that the primary goal throughout the years has been to improve visitor experience and safety.
“We got grants, raised money, and did signage at the fort,” Sands said. “So we have some bronze plaques describing the history when you first walk in.”
Other projects completed include total replacement of street lights and seating. The bench remodeling project was crowd-funded by residents interested in purchasing a bench, which in return entitled them to a plaque honoring something or someone of their choice. They paid $1,814, symbolizing the year the fort was first named.
“We had more people that wanted benches than we had space for benches,” Sands said.
The fort’s most recent restorations were done ahead of its 100th anniversary since being returned to the town. Sands discussed the extreme measures that had to be taken when modifying Fort Sewall.
“We worked closely with Mass. Historic. There were a number of things we had to do because we were touching such a significant historic site,” Sands explained. “We had to do ground-penetrating radar studies of the fort and have archaeologists dig test pits to make sure that we weren’t compromising any significant archaeology.”
Sands said it was difficult to decide what era to return to as it pertains to the fort’s renovation designs, but ultimately decided the War of 1812 was the most appropriate.
“That’s the most significant piece of history that Fort Sewall was involved in,” Sands said. “The U.S. Constitution was getting chased by two British frigates and came under the protection of the guns at Fort Sewall.”
As for the future of the Fort Sewall Oversight Committee, Sands is doing everything to facilitate a smooth transition for when Town Planner and Committee member Rebecca Curran Cutting retires next February. In addition, he also sees his own retirement after 25 years of service to the committee in the not-so-distant future.