The Athens-Limestone Community Association is using a royal connection in an effort to shore up funding for the renovation of Fort Henderson.

Joseph Betts, a former slave and Union soldier, was stationed at the Civil War-era fort located off Brownsferry Street in Athens. Betts is believed to be the great-great-great-great-grandfather of Meghan Markle, now known as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex after her marriage to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

ALCA board members David Malone and Richard Martin believe the tie to the duke and duchess could make a refurbished Fort Henderson an even bigger tourist attraction than they previously imagined. It’s a reason why the men asked the Athens City Council to consider providing some or all of a 20 percent match for a grant it plans to apply for. He estimated that match to be about $75,000.

Martin said the matching funds need to be secured before the application can be made. He told the council it could take about $400,000 to “do it right” in terms of the restoration.

Malone said there are three phases to the project, the first of which — the renovation of the former Trinity School — is complete. The renovated school building was renamed the Pincham-Lincoln Center and is now used for community events and as a polling place during countywide elections.

Phase 2 is the renovation of Fort Henderson, while the third and final phase is the construction of a museum to tell the history of both the fort and the school.

Martin told the council the ALCA had been raising money through various projects. He said the ALCA has also discussed charging admission to the site.

Mayor Ronnie Marks advised Martin to find a few other organizations who may be willing to help.

About the fort

The Pincham-Lincoln Center and Fort Henderson sit on about 4 acres off Brownsferry Street in Athens. The exact address is 666 Trinity Circle.

Fort Henderson was a federal fort constructed by the 110th U.S. Colored Infantry in 1863 and was taken by Gen. Nathan B. Forrest in the fall of 1864. Forrest continued north and federal troops reoccupied the fort.

According to historical drawings, the fort was encircled by an 18-foot deep moat and was considered one of the biggest built in the Deep South. However, the moat was filled during school construction projects, the latest of which was in 1950 when the last Trinity School was built after ruins of the previous school were bulldozed into what was once the moat area.

The plans are to rebuild the fort walls and have a walking trail around the fort.