"Building a diorama of the historic battle of Fort Tyler has been an adventure into the past.  Based on the information available this diorama reasonably portrays what an observer might have seen in the hill that fateful day in April 1865."

                                                Fred Cook, Jr.
                                                Designer & Builder

The above diorama of Fort Tyler contains the following points of interest:

• The felled trees lying on the ground surrounding Fort Tyler formed a defensive obstacle called an abatis.

• Earth tones for the base and surface color for the diorama were taken from soil samples at the Fort site.  Some of the same soil was used in certain areas of the fort in the diorama.

• The Fort measures approximately 100 feet long inside of each parapet wall.

• The parapet wall was 4½ feet high inside the Fort and 6 feet wide at the top and 12 feet wide at the base.

• The moat surrounding Fort Tyler was approximately 16 feet wide and 10 feet deep.

• Materials used for the diorama included: 2x4's and plywood for the base; screen wire, gauze and plaster of paris for the surface; and scenic remodeling materials for landscaping.  There are over 100 hand painted soldiers.  The Griggs house and outbuildings were hand crafted.

• Approximate building time was 400 hours.

 

 

Eleanor Scott, chairman of the board for the Fort Tyler Association, examines the Fort Tyler diorama constructed by local designer and builder Fred Cook, Jr. of West Point.

 

 

 

        The diorama is 8 feet long and 6 feet wide and is built to a scale of one inch equals 6 feet or 1 foot equals 72 feet.

        Using the above scale, the diorama represents an area 575 feet long (north/south direction) and 430 feet wide (east/west direction) or slightly under 6 acres.  The elevation change from the lowest to the highest point is 15 inches or 90 feet to scale.

        The house on the southeast corner represents the home of Dr. Asa Griggs.  It is of Greek Rival design.

        The design and size of the fort were derived from several sources: 

• An account by Isham Stanley, one of the young defenders of the fort

• And article, "A Most Voluntary Gathering" from the August 1994 issue of Blue & Gray magazine written by Randall Allen.

• "The Last Redoubt" - archaeological investigations at Fort Tyler by Garrow Associates, 1993

• The most recent archaeological findings by Dr. John Cottier and associates from Auburn University in February 1996.