Fort Frederick

In January 2026 Direct Dimensions helped document Fort Frederick, a large, historic quadrangle military fortification in Big Pool, Maryland. Built in 1756, Fort Frederick has played an important role in more than three centuries of American history, serving as a strategic frontier defense, a Revolutionary War prison camp, and a Civil War outpost, before it was abandoned in 1862. The State of Maryland acquired the property in 1922 and through extensive restoration of the site established Fort Frederick State Park. It was later named a National Historic Landmark in 1973.

Initial restoration work was done in the 1930s under the Civilian Conservation Corps, but as the fort’s historic masonry walls continue to age, The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Preservation Maryland sought detailed digital documentation as the first step to support a comprehensive condition assessment and preservation effort. Direct Dimensions was brought in by national engineering firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) to document all 47,500 square feet of the fort’s wall surface.

Direct Dimensions took extensive drone-based and handheld color photography of the fort’s interior and exterior walls. The photographs were used in a photogrammetric software and combined with terrestrial laser scanning of the site. The resulting model had the precision of laser scanning and the high color resolution of HDR photography.

From all the captured data, Direct Dimensions produced a number of different deliverables for the preservationists and park personnel including site plans, 3D models, and point clouds. Of particular use were the CAD elevation sheets. Using the combined laser and photogrammetry model, Direct Dimensions created elevation drawings with color-underlay orthographic imagery. The images were rendered with a pixel for every 2mm of wall face. These deliverables provide detailed dimensional information and visual documentation of the fort’s existing conditions, while avoiding the large labor cost and time usually associated with this type of drawing.

The resulting 3D scan and CAD documentation will support a comprehensive condition assessment of Fort Frederick’s historic walls. SGH and their historic masons will use the documentation to identify preservation needs, prioritize treatment recommendations, and develop a phased plan for the preservation and restoration of the fort’s walls and gate.

By creating an accurate digital record of Fort Frederick, Direct Dimensions is helping preserve not only the physical structure, but also a detailed record of an important Maryland landmark for future generations.