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A three inch gun used during
the Battle of Midway
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Preserving Midway's heritage
is both an exciting opportunity and a daunting challenge. It is an
important goal of the refuge to preserve and interpret Midway's historic
resources.
The Navy has been the steward of Midway's historic resources for
several decades. The Federal statutory responsibility for this effort
is defined by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA).
As part of the base closure process, the Navy was obligated to consider
the effects of the closure process on historic sites and structures.
The Navy determined that 78 structures, buildings or objects were
eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places,
including the structures associated with the Battle of Midway National
Historic Landmark, designated in 1986.
To guide the historic preservation process during the transition,
the Navy entered into a Programmatic Agreement with the Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Office
and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The Programmatic
Agreement recommended specific types of treatment for the 78 historic
sites or structures (click on historic sites). The types of treatment
are as follows:
- Re-use: The
PA identified 23 buildings and structures to be used in support
of refuge operations. This list includes, among others, the officers'
housing, theater, barracks, shops and industrial facilities.
- Secure: The
PA identified 13 historic properties to be secured by the Navy
to minimize hazards to wildlife and people. That work was only
partially completed prior to base closure. Examples of these properties
include the power plant/command center that was shelled on December
7, 1941 and the Cable Station complex.
- Leave as-is:
The PA identified 20 historic properties that would be left in
"as-is" condition and would not be used under refuge
management, other than for interpretive purposes. Examples include
the runways on Eastern island and various bunkers, pillboxes and
gun batteries.
- Fill: Parties
to the Programmatic Agreement decided that four properties would
be filled with sand. Included in this list were pillboxes on Sand
and Eastern islands and two ammunition storage huts (ARMCO huts).
The pillboxes were filled during the closure process but the Service
decided that the ammunition huts would be secured instead of filled.
- Demolish: The
PA called for demolition of 15 historic properties that were of
secondary historical importance, were in very poor condition and/or
were redundant to other resources being maintained. The Navy demolished
these properties in 1996. Examples of these properties include
a motor pool building, laundry, N.O.B. armory and airfield storage
buildings.
- Relocate: The
PA listed four items to be moved to enhance their protection and
interpretation. Included were a torpedo, inert bomb, submarine
net and pillbox.
Preservation Work Underway
The Fish and Wildlife Service
has initiated several projects to enhance protection and interpretation
of Midway's rich historical resources. Here's a few examples of ongoing
projects:
- Documentation:
The Service is working with the Navy to obtain engineering and
public works records for all historic sites and to gather other
historic documents.
- Planning: The
Service is preparing a Historic Preservation Plan to identify
the preservation, management and interpretive needs of the 78
historic properties that remain on the refuge.
- Legislation:
The Service is involved in the consideration of legislation that
would designate all or part of the refuge as a national memorial
to the Battle of Midway.
- Interpretation:
The Service has incorporated Midway's historic resources into
public tours for refuge visitors. Interpretive displays are being
designed for the visitor center and for placement at historic
sites on the refuge. A new handicapped accessible walkway has
recently been built to the Battle of Midway memorial. Other walkways
and trails have been built to enhance access to the cemetery,
gun batteries and ammunition storage huts.
- Preservation:
Several projects are underway to enhance protection and restoration
of important historic properties. The roofs and soffits have been
replaced on the historic officers quarters. Efforts to control
termites have been accelerated. The Oceanic Society is now bringing
groups of visitors to assist in historic site restoration projects.
They are clearing encroaching vegetation from gun batteries, treating
rust on ammunition huts, repairing damage to wooden structures
and compiling pertinent photographs and other historic documentation.
Midway
Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Historic
Preservation Plan
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