Historic Fort Douglas will be ‘reimagined’ as part of University of Utah campus

Fort Douglas has been a part of Utah history since 1862 when it first housed soldiers working to protect the Overland mail route and keep an eye on early settlers.

For more than a century and a half, different eras of the Utah narrative have found a place in Fort Douglas. Soldiers during both world wars slept in barracks within the fort’s red brick walls. Cavalry and draft horses were held inside the sandstone walls of the stables.

If you stood on the parade ground in the elate 1800s, you might have even heard members of the 24th Regiment of the famed buffalo soldiers playing baseball.

Now, the halls of Fort Douglas are empty, but the end of the site’s chapter as a military fort turns the page to start a new one.

“We don’t need large military posts in the center of our country anymore,” said Christopher Merritt, a state historic preservation officer, on Wednesday. “But we do need higher education.”

On Saturday, military leaders and government representatives will gather in Salt Lake City to celebrate a process “decades in the making” — as the remaining acres of Fort Douglas become part of the University of Utah campus.

“Now it can be reimagined for its next love,” Merritt said.

Fort Douglas offers ‘a unique learning opportunity’

The University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve have worked together for years to relocate military units and personnel from Fort Douglas to a new $127 million facility at Camp Williams in Bluffdale, a state-of-the-art facility that stands at stark contrast to some of the buildings at Fort Douglas that have been in operation for more than a century.

“This collaborative effort is one of the most significant modernization efforts in our region’s military history,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in a press release.

“This move to a high-tech new facility will strengthen soldier readiness, expand training capability and enhance long‑term support for operational missions across the western United States,“ he continued. “And it will continue a strategic partnership between federal, state, tribal and academic institutions committed to supporting America’s soldiers.”

The new U.S. Army Reserve Center opened in June and all military units and personnel have been moved from Fort Douglas to the new facility.

Now, the University of Utah said it will use the Fort Douglas land to create “college town magic” through research and lab space, student housing, support services and offices, parking and recreational areas.

“Fort Douglas really offers a unique learning opportunity,” Merritt said. “We have a world-class learning institution with a huge glut of amazing historic resources on its campus. Let’s figure out a way to put those two together.”

The University of Utah says it will work to preserve the history of Fort Douglas

“Fort Douglas has always fundamentally been part of Utah’s community,” Merritt said.

Fort Douglas was established in 1862 during the Civil War. Under oversight from the university, much of the site’s history will be preserved.

The Fort Douglas land “offers a rare connection to Utah and America’s past,” the university said in a press release. “By preserving the character of these historic places and putting them to modern use, the U. can ensure that the remarkable history surrounding campus remains an important part of its future.”

There will be some changes to “make it functional for the 21st century of education,” Merritt said, but the university has “a very strong commitment” to “protect this heritage.”

“Historic buildings do not have to be anti-future,” Merritt said. “They can be incorporated into our future if we’re mindful and thoughtful about it.”

The future of Fort Douglas will now be ‘reimagined’

“Reimagining the future of this campus, I can imagine a lot of students enjoying this nice big shade and open space,” Merritt said, standing on the fort’s parade ground.

The Fort Douglas museum is currently being renovated and will reopen in October as the Utah Military Museum at Historic Fort Douglas, operated by the Utah National Guard. The federal government will manage the Fort Douglas Cemetery.

Merritt said he hopes the fort will be a “national standard of how we can make old places new again.”

“The best thing for a historic building is use,” Merritt said. “Having it used keeps it alive.”