A new park manager is coming to Dry Tortugas National Park, the U.S. National Park Service announced Aug. 1. That new manager is James Crutchfield, who begins his new job Aug. 13, according to an NPS news release.
“James is a dedicated professional, passionate about his role in serving the American people through the mission of the National Park Service," Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, said in the release. "His leadership and experience helping with damage assessments after Hurricane Ian make him a perfect choice to continue advancing the extensive recovery work that will benefit our park visitors well into the future."
Crutchfield has worked for the National Park Service for more than 10 years, at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Fla. and then at the National Park Service Preservation Training Center, where he was the monument section manager from February 2022 until present, the release said.
“I am proud to serve as the next park manager helping to protect and preserve the impressive array of natural and cultural resources at Dry Tortugas National Park. I am excited to continue the park’s great work and look forward to supporting a great team of employees,” Crutchfield said in the release.
Dry Tortugas National Park is a 100-square mile park that features seven small islands and open water. According to the NPS website, visitors can access it only by boat or seaplane, but when they do, they can explore Fort Jefferson on Garden Key, the coral reefs and marine life and so much more.
Dry Tortugas National Park was designated as a national monument by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in January 1935, expanded in 1983 and designated as a National Park Oct. 26, 1992. NPS reported Fort Jefferson was built between 1846 and 1875, on Garden Key. A lighthouse was built in 1825, and another in 1858.
In December 2011, the St. Augustine Record published a “Where are they now?” feature on Crutchfield that gave a bit more info on his background. That summer, as a Pedro Menendez High School masonry teacher, Crutchfield and the team from the school’s Academy of Architectural and Building Sciences worked on the Castillo de San Marcos seawall and walkways.
In May the park’s staff and researchers discovered the archeological remains of a 19th century quarantine hospital and cemetery on a submerged island near Garden Key, and identified one grave, according to the May 1 news release. Of those people who were interred at Fort Jefferson’s Post Cemetery, many were military personnel and some were civilians. The grave of John Greer, a civilian laborer, was found and identified during this exploration.
