About Fort Chadbourne
|
The Fort Chadbourne Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization founded in 1999.
The Foundation’s original “mission” was to manage, preserve, and protect a registered national historic site. Initially its main objective included: A) Preserve and maintain the ruins and remains of the site making it available to the public for tours. B) Provide public educational materials. C) Stabilize the existing structures, which in 1999 were ruins. D) Reconstruct several of the existing buildings as they were in 1852 while presenting the history prior to fort times, as well as the ranching heritage of the area of West Texas after fort times. E) Erect a visitor center/museum Today, five military structures have been fully restored, all other ruins stabilized. The Butterfield Stage Station has also been restored, and is the only restored Butterfield Stage Stop in Texas. In the past 15 years, we held an annual Living History Event hosting over 30,000 students from local and area schools. Beginning in 2016, we will be going in a new direction and hosting individual field trips for schools and organizations. This will still give kids a hands-on history lesson they can enjoy and remember for years to come. On April 29, 2012, a new 12,500 square foot Visitor Center was opened to house all the information, artifacts, and collections that pertain to Fort Chadbourne and the ranching heritage information of the area. Few can boast that an original “mission statement” can be completed in a few short years, and all done without governmental funds; all through hard work, volunteers, and donations. But, the Fort Chadbourne Foundation has done so, and is proud to present back to other historians this “labor of love.” As one door closes though, others must open. So now the Fort Chadbourne Foundation must look to the future. To perpetuate its future, an endowment fund is being established through donations. Our new goal is to maintain what we have established, continue to embrace our volunteers to aide us in our venture, be worthy of your donations, and work towards an endowment that will eventually be large enough to keep the doors at Fort Chadbourne open for many years to come. We look forward to your visit, and hope you enjoy your travel back in time. |
|
