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FOR RELEASE: JANUARY 12, 2001

CHARLESTON, South Carolina, January 12, 2001 - Fort Sumter National Monument and the National Park Service are preparing for the opening of the new Fort Sumter Tour Boat Facility and Liberty Square located adjacent to the South Carolina Aquarium on the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina.

Working closely with the National Park Service, HITT Contracting has been contracted to build the new 10,000 s.f. state-of-the-art facility that will be the only departure point for visitors to Fort Sumter. The facility and Liberty Square will also serve as an interpretive education center for the National Park Service to communicate the significance of Fort Sumter and its history at a central mainland location.

The Fort Sumter Tour Boat Facility and Liberty Square are clearly the result of a longstanding partnership among the National Park Service, the City of Charleston, the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, the South Carolina Aquarium and the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the national park annually.

The National Park Service’s mission at Fort Sumter is to interpret American history. History provides us with defining moments from which we judge where we are and where we have been. The Civil War provides the United States with one of its critical defining moments that continues to play a vital role in defining ourselves as a Nation. The Fort Sumter visitor experience is very important and it is far greater than a simple tour of the harbor where an old fort stands. Fort Sumter is the place where America’s most tragic conflict ignited a chain reaction of social, economic, and political events that exploded into civil war.

Now, visitors to Charleston’s exciting waterfront complex will be able to make one historic departure from one departure point. Not only will the Tour Boat Facilities and Liberty Square enhance the visitor experience, it will result in a deeper appreciation for our history and the history preserved from land and sea in Charleston, South Carolina.

Fort Sumter National Monument, the National Park Service and the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau have created a formidable plan to support the opening of the new facility replete with milestone events to garner interest and participation. As well, the calendar of events will serve to raise awareness among a national and global audience of the national park, Charleston and all its amenities.

January 12, 2001: Topping-Off Ceremony
February 1, 2001: Teacher Work Days & Outreach Events
March 15, 2001: Teacher Work Days & Outreach Events
April 12, 2001: 140th Anniversary of the First Shot
April 21, 2001: Family Circle Cup at Liberty Square
May 1, 2001: Liberty Square Event
June 14, 2001: Flag Day Celebration
August 23, 2001: Operational Opening of New Facility
October 2001: Grand Opening of Fort Sumter Tour Boat Facility

About HITT Contracting Inc.
HITT Contracting was founded in 1937 and has grown to be ranked today among the 100 Largest General Contractors in the United States, with offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Charleston, and Baltimore. HITT Contracting provides award-winning turnkey construction services from changing a doorknob to complete delivery of headquarter facilities/campuses. The company has more than 600 employees, including a 325-member, skilled in-house field force available to fulfill the requirements of their expanding base of repeat and new clients. Their $407 volume in 2001 comprises today’s leading market sectors, including corporate base building and interiors, law firms, technology, biotech, institutional, government, aviation, and healthcare.