Preserving History

In June of 1877, one year after the tragic defeat of General George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Little Bighorn, General William Tecumseh Sherman was on an inspection tour in the Northwest looking for potential fort sites. After the tour, Sherman urged Congress to authorize the construction of three new forts: Fort Missoula, Fort Spokane and Fort Coeur d’Alene, which was renamed Fort Sherman.

Fort Sherman was located on the north shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Construction on the fort began in the spring of 1878. By the early 1880s, most of the fort had been completed. It consisted of several barracks and officers’ quarters, a chapel, hospital, post hall, powder magazine and numerous utility buildings. One of the last buildings to be built was a home for the commanding officer.

Fort Sherman operated until 1898 when the last troops marched out, bound for Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War. In June of 1905 all the buildings and grounds were sold at public auction. Today, only three of the original buildings are still standing: the post chapel, the powder magazine and one of the officers’ quarters. Each of these buildings has their own story of neglect and survival and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and all still play a useful role in our community.

The present officers’ quarters, built in 1878, was one of eight buildings designed to serve as housing for the single officers. The married officers and their families lived in small cottages along the northern shore of the Spokane River on the western edge of the fort. Some of the bidders for these quarters were very prominent citizens in the community including Frederick Blackwell and V.W. Sander. A few of the buildings were moved to various locations in the city, others became boarding houses on their original sites.

In 1983 a grant was awarded to North Idaho College to convert the present officers’ quarters, called the McHugh House, into a North Idaho Historical and Folklore Center. Some work was done on the first floor, but it was not until 1996 when a major renovation project was completed on the exterior and interior. Today the Fort Sherman Officers’ Quarters have several faculty offices, restrooms and a Victorian-styled meeting room with the original fireplace.

The Post Chapel had been used primarily for religious services, weddings and funerals. It was also used as a school for the young dependents of the officers and upper non-commissioned soldiers. Until the Post Hall was completed, it also served as a library and lecture hall.

Thomas T. Kerl and David Ham purchased several lots, including the Chapel, at the 1905 auction. It sat vacant for many years and eventually fell into disrepair. In 1926 it was purchased by the Fort Grounds Lutheran Church and in 1934 was acquired by The American Lutheran Church. After Fort George Wright in Spokane made an attempt to purchase and relocate the Chapel, there was a move by several members of the community to convert the Chapel into a museum. In 1942 the Athletic Round Table(A.R.T.), the City Club and Burl C. Hagadone purchased the Chapel. The deed was held in trust by the A.R.T with the intent that it would eventually be turned over to the city.

With the help of many individuals and organizations, major repairs were made to the Chapel in the early 1960s. In 1984, the A.R.T. transferred ownership of the Chapel to the Museum of North Idaho. Since then the Chapel has been used by numerous organizations in the community. There have been many weddings, concerts and lectures in the Chapel. The Chapel Preservation Fund holds all income and donations to the Chapel and is used for ongoing cost, preservation and maintenance.

The Fort Sherman Powder Magazine was built to store munitions and gunpowder. Constructed in 1885, it was the only brick building on the fort grounds. After the fort buildings and grounds were sold at public auction in 1905, the Powder Magazine was converted into a private residence. In 1972, North Idaho College, in cooperation with the Museum of North Idaho, held a fund drive to purchase the building from Idaho Forest Industries. After extensive restoration, the Powder Magazine was the home of the museum until 1979. After the Museum of North Idaho moved its main exhibit hall to a building near the city park, the Powder Magazine was used by the museum to display and tell the history of Fort Sherman until 2012. Under the auspices of North Idaho College, the old Powder Magazine now houses a permanent exhibit featuring histories of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Fort Sherman and North Idaho College.

For the past three years, Robert Singletary, Program and Marketing Director for the Museum of North Idaho, has presented walking tours of old Fort Sherman, which includes a visit to the Fort Chapel, Officers’ Quarter and the Powder Magazine. Call 208.755.1308 or 208.664.3448 for more information.

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