The ABA Forum on the Construction Industry Young Lawyers Section, joined by the Boston Harbor Island Alliance and ARCADIS continue our legacy of “Pulling Together for a Winning Strategy.”

Through the auspices of Boston Harbor Island Alliance, a non-profit organization, attorney and consultant volunteers participated in the 2012 Fall Community Service Project - The Preservation of Fort Andrews. Friday, October 19th, dawned wet and stormy, but our volunteers were undaunted. Right after lunch, 19 members of the Forum boarded a Department of Natural Resources craft, crossed Boston Harbor to Peddocks Island, and spent the afternoon planting trees and shrubs, helping to enhance this National Park. The Park Services’ team was amazed at the dedication and determination exhibited by our volunteers, and welcomes other ABA groups to come work, play and enjoy this icon of American history. Once our work was done, we embarked on a brief guided tour of the various structures on the island, courtesy of Ranger Phillip, which concluded in time for our 4:30 departure back to the mainland.

Fort Andrews was created in 1897 for the defense of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts. The Fort occupies the entire northeast end of Peddocks Island in Boston Harbor. Once an active Coast Artillery post, Fort Andrews was manned by hundreds of soldiers and bristled with mortars and guns that controlled the southern approaches to Boston and Quincy Bay. Today, the decommissioned fort is undergoing renovation and restoration as an historic landmark. Fort Andrews is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, as part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Significant to the construction industry, Fort Andrews was named after Major General George Leonard Andrews, an engineer and Civil War commander, who assisted in the construction of Fort Warren in Boston Harbor.