Rufus Johnson Associates worked with the Fort Defiance Commission and the City of Clarksville to design a new visitor center and interpretive experience for the Fort Defiance Civil War Park. Through a collaborative planning process that included stakeholder meetings and public input, the project team developed a program for a cultural facility that respects the site’s significance while enhancing the visitor experience.
The project included extensive site improvements such as access drives, parking, landscaping, interpretive trails, exterior exhibits, and other site features carefully integrated into the historic setting. Special attention was given to preserving mature trees, protecting existing infrastructure, and avoiding disturbance to the sacred earthen works. The building itself was designed to blend with its surroundings through the use of forms, materials, and colors reflective of the regional landscape.
The visitor center includes a lobby and information hub, gift shop, offices, meeting space, and interactive exhibit areas that guide visitors through key periods of Clarksville’s Civil War history. Together, the building and site create an engaging and respectful destination that supports education, reflection, and community connection.
CONSULTANTS
DBS & Associates Engineering: Civil / K&S Engineering: Structural I.C. Thomasson Associates: Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical Engineer
EXHIBIT DESIGNER
HealyKohler Design
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
McKinney Construction