The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

Write for Us
Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony
Print Issues
Write for Us
Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony
Print Issues

U Destroys Civil War-Era Historical Artifacts in Building Repairs

The U unearthed, and then destroyed, many artifacts and building foundations dating back to the Civil War this summer at the Fort Douglas Museum — a mistake the school is working to correct.

The accidental destruction occurred when the school was upgrading the area’s electrical system, part of an ongoing campus-wide project to increase the reliability of service to the U. Shireen Ghorbani, spokesperson for Facilities Management, said the oversight occurred because of miscommunication between the school and the construction company on the project, and the U has taken steps to ensure this does not happen again in the future.

There used to be a position in campus planning which monitored the impacts of construction in the U’s historical districts. Ghorbani said this role is currently contracted out to Certus Environmental Solutions, a consulting company run by historian and archaeologist Sheri Ellis, who is now overseeing other building plans on campus.

“We are always looking for ways to preserve the history on campus,” Ghorbani said. “The fort is an unexplored treasure on campus by students.”

Beau Burgess, Fort Douglas Museum Curator, said the lack of monitoring damaged the history of the site.

“There were a lot of artifacts that were out there that were just scooped up and put in the back of a truck and hauled away,” Burgess said. “Civil War buttons, the bugles on the caps, the insignia, boots, bottles — you name it, it was in there. And it’s gone now, that part of the nation’s history is just wiped away.”

With the disposal of these items, the U broke the law by not surveying, documenting and trying to preserve them. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to “take into account” the effect of construction projects and then allow a reasonable amount of time for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to respond.

In addition to this federal law, the U also has a memorandum of agreement to prevent the destruction of historic properties. Burgess said this policy may be revised to prevent future damage.

The Fort Douglas Museum sits on one of two national historic districts at the U where artifacts date back to the Civil War. For reparation, the U has to provide the museum with something of the same value as the destroyed items and building foundations, such as an educational tour or exhibit, Burgess said. This is in compliance with Section 106 stating agencies must “avoid, minimize or mitigate the adverse effects” of construction projects on historic properties. He said exact compensation is still being determined.

Burgess said these disposed items are some of the most useful items for archaeologists as they provide a context for the everyday lives of people in the past. While old items can have a monetary value, their real importance lies in the ability to tell the story of a place.

Ghorbani said the U has settled with the state on this mistake, but that there may be an additional archaeological survey next summer to help explore the area fully and avoid any future mishaps.

[email protected]

@Ehmannky

 

Leave a Comment

Comments (0)

The Daily Utah Chronicle welcomes comments from our community. However, the Daily Utah Chronicle reserves the right to accept or deny user comments. A comment may be denied or removed if any of its content meets one or more of the following criteria: obscenity, profanity, racism, sexism, or hateful content; threats or encouragement of violent or illegal behavior; excessively long, off-topic or repetitive content; the use of threatening language or personal attacks against Chronicle members; posts violating copyright or trademark law; and advertisement or promotion of products, services, entities or individuals. Users who habitually post comments that must be removed may be blocked from commenting. In the case of duplicate or near-identical comments by the same user, only the first submission will be accepted. This includes comments posted across multiple articles. You can read more about our comment policy at https://dailyutahchronicle.com/comment-faqs/.
All The Daily Utah Chronicle Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *