After the Civil War, the forts and earthworks of Cape Girardeau slowly disappeared as the city grew until only Fort D remained. In the early 1900's, the area surrounding the fort was developed as Fort D Highlands, but a campaign by veterans, concerned citizens, and the local newspaper kept the fort intact as the lands around it were developed. In the 1930's, the American Legion purchased the land, and the Works Progress Administration approved a project to stabilize the earthworks and build a replica powder-house in the center to serve as a museum and meeting house. The renovated fort reopened as a park in 1936, 75 years after it was originally built. The museum, designed in a fort-like style, became a city landmark and represented Works Progress Administration architecture. Over the years, the fort and museum fell on hard times and were used for purposes far from their original designs, including as a private residence. When the remaining walls of the museum faced demolition, public entities and private organizations stepped forward to revive the site and interpret Cape Girardeau's role in the Civil War.