History of Preservation Efforts at Camp Naco
|
| Camp Naco, Arizona – Photo by Henry Wallace |
The Camp Naco Arizona Preservation Committee (CNAPC) and the Town of Huachuca City initially led the charge to rehabilitate and preserve Camp Naco. In May 2007, volunteers from the Fort Huachuca Basic Officer Leadership Course helped remove extensive brush and trash in and around the structures. Soon afterward, Huachuca City secured an award from the Arizona Heritage Fund, and Archaeology Southwest helped the CNAPC obtain an additional $17,500 in funding from the Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation. As a result of the CNAPC’s efforts and those of a host of concerned partners, Camp Naco was declared one of Arizona’s Most Endangered Historic Places in August 2007. This designation by the Arizona Preservation Foundation raises awareness of the Camp’s historic significance and critical condition. Moreover, the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office has determined that the site is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places as a military district.
The Town of Huachuca City contracted with asbestos abatement specialists and a fencing company in the winter of 2007-2008. These two essential steps protected Camp Naco and prepared it for access by a team of University of Arizona architecture students. Led by noted preservationist R. Brooks Jeffery, the team conducted a thorough condition assessment of the remaining structures. This was completed in the spring of 2008.
|
| Building at Camp Naco |
Poster Frost Associates of Tucson developed a detailed cost estimate for rehabilitation of the former recreation facility at Camp Naco. This building had been identified as the ideal place to start the process of building rehabilitation during a Community Charette (planning meeting) held in March 2008. On December 29, 2008, a new grant proposal was submitted to the Arizona Heritage Fund by the Town of Huachuca City with two non-profit partners: the Naco Heritage Alliance (formerly the CNAPC) and Archaeology Southwest.
The Naco Heritage Alliance was fully incorporated as a new Arizona non-profit in July 2008. Its mission is to assist in the preservation and interpretation of Camp Naco and other important historical resources in the borderlands area.
A full National Register nomination form was submitted in 2012. On October 17, 2012, the Camp Naco Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
To order the issue of Archaeology Southwest Magazine that features Camp Naco and archaeology of the borderlands, click here.
