NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — One of Nashville's most historic sites is getting its biggest funding boost in years in a move that site leaders say will help fix decades of deterioration.
Mayor John Cooper's allocated $1 million to Fort Negley in his Capital Spending Plan, which was approved by the Metro Council earlier this month.
"This is the largest allocation of funding for the fort in about 20 years," said Krista Castillo, Fort Negley museum director.
Castillo said Metro and Fort Negley stakeholders will have to decide where that money will go, but she expects it to help repair decades of damages.
"The fort is not in the greatest condition," she explained. "It's very exciting to finally have some money to do something about it."
The fort, which was built as a Union outpost during the Civil War and was later restored by crews in the 1930s, is now run by the Metro Parks Department.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Mayor's office said, "Fort Negley is one of Nashville’s greatest treasures. It serves as a monument to the suffering and sacrifice of African Americans who labored there and have been laid to rest there. Three years ago, Nashvillians rallied to save Fort Negley from development. And now, saving this historic place means investing in its preservation for generations to come."
