Brewster hired to manage project at Fort Laurens
Jonathan Brewster
The Ohio History Connection has hired Jonathan Brewster to serve as project director for upcoming improvements to Fort Laurens, the site of Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort.
Brewster earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in archaeology at Wayne State University in Detroit and has worked on various cultural resource management projects since 2007.
Prior to joining Ohio History Connection, he worked with the GAI Consultants engineering firm in Pittsburgh as a senior archaeologist.
“I’m delighted to be part of the transformative project we are undertaking at Fort Laurens,” Brewster said. “Ohioans are going to be proud of the results of our work.”
With support from the Ohio capital budget, a multifaceted project at Fort Laurens is scheduled for completion in time for the fort’s 250th anniversary in 2028.
The three main components of the project include the following:
First, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will undergo essential masonry repairs and landscaping enhancements in preparation for the U.S. Semiquincentennial celebration in 2026. This will allow the Ohio History Connection to fully tell the stories of the 21 soldiers who lost their lives at Fort Laurens.
Second, a public archaeological research program is planned to facilitate the partial reconstruction of the fort, with work beginning in spring 2025. This program will be facilitated by Brewster in collaboration with the Zoar Community Association, the Friends of Fort Laurens and others.
Third, the museum building will be rehabilitated, reconfigured and upgraded, and its exhibits will be updated. The Ohio History Connection will work with the Zoar Community Association, the Friends of Fort Laurens and American Indian Tribal Partners with ties to the site to develop a new plan for interpretation and create new exhibits.
“Our plans for Fort Laurens are exciting for East Central Ohio in general and Tuscarawas and Stark counties in particular,” said Jon Elsasser, president of the Zoar Community Association and a member of the Ohio History Connection Board of Trustees. “Brewster will be doing a great deal of work in the Bolivar area starting this spring.”
The project is expected to be completed by November 2028, marking the 250th anniversary of the fort’s establishment, and the reconstructed fort will be rededicated. The total project budget is $3.2 million, with capital funding secured.