Johnson's Island was established as an officer's prison in 1862 and was in operation until just before the end of the Civil War in 1965. A number of archaeological digs have been conducted on the island over the last twenty years. What needs to be noted, however, is that Johnson's Island and the former prison did not take up the entire island. Instead, the site of the blocks, or barracks, were located on the south side of the island, facing Sandusky. 
For Hill and the blocks are no longer standing, but the cemetery is. In the 1990s, the cemetery near where the buildings stood was nominated and became a National Historic Site Landmark. So, this is the only part of the island that has some connection to the site that is protected.
In recent years, more people are constructing larger summer homes along the perimeter of the island. Contributing to this, is that the homeowners are part of an association that has pushed against any efforts to further preserve the site and possible creation of replica blocks and other buildings. In order for visitors to see the cemetery and other associated sites, they must either enter a code or pay $2 to go through the gate. There is so much that can be done for interpretation of the island and the dissemination of information about the island's importance to not only the Sandusky Bay area, but also to the state and national historical narrative.
Sources: http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1562&ResourceType=Site
http://www.johnsonsisland.org/
http://johnsonsisland.heidelberg.edu/
http://archive.archaeology.org/johnsonsisland/
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