Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE: (Rev. 6-72} NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Tennessee COUNTY: NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Rutherford INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONL.Y ENTRY DATE (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) ...... .,,„,..,....„..„..„ . .. .jyw.,,7 ,W4 Illlplllii^ COMMON: Fortress Rosecrans *£•'%& AND/OR HISTORIC: 111 .STREET AND, NUMBER:/ . *,*,* JL-tjL*,* $ jtT- • CITY OR TOWN: CONGREISSIONAL DISTRICT: ST ATE / CODE COUNTY : CODE Tpnnpqqpp 47 Rutherford 149 £::::::;:;:£:;::|::^^ CATI*ORY • OWNERSHIP STATUS ACCESSIBLE (Check One) . " TO THE PUBLIC \ | District FJ Building CE Public Public Acquisition: O Occupied Yes: C$ Site ' D Structure CD Private CD In Process 1XJr«i UnoccupiedM • j fB*~^ Restricted A , —, „ , CD Unrestricted CD Object CD ^ot^ CD Being Considere | _I Preservation work — in progress '— ' PREjSENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate), ^r- — ~~ — j*^~ \ 1 \_k f J -S. DT fff^ \ \ \ *j r "f ft* 1 *• ^ . 1 1 Agricultural Q Government Q Park 1 ransportafio|Vj \^>--J -»lj^-1vOmn^^titS [^.Commercial CD Industrial | | Private Residence irj-i /NiL sty Jijx^^ ts. '"^ N. j^\ CD Educational Q Military Q Religious Va^arlT^ ^tCENFIJ '''^2\ 1 I Entertainment O Museum Q] Scientific /^V ^ 'C-\ ..... ... ....-„.... p.A .t. WAR •£ /> jnf»;.VR ....;— ^ ^ ill OWNER'S NAME: p-^A '^nOiNJAL /W STATE' ro City of Murfreesboro 3 STREET AND NUMBER: 3 ^TTcrnA'^)7 n> Citv Hall CO CITY OR TOWN: STA TE: """ — ~ — ""^ CODF rr> fD Murfreesboro Tppnp^^pp 47 COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: COUNTY: Rutherford County Register's OffirP P+- STREET AND NUMBER: 3- Courthouse fD CITY OR TOWN: STA TE CODE O Murfreesboro Tennessee 47 illlliliililllillllllllllisllllllllllllll TITLE OF SURVEY; ENTR1 Topoaraphical Sketch of the Environs of Fn»-t.rp«i^ Rn<;prranc Tl O DATE OK SURVEY: Jiirtp 1863 S ^^erol CD State Q County | | Local NUMBERf DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS; z TJ </i National Archives (Rernrrf group 77, Dr. 147. Shppt ??\ ... C VI STREET AND NUMBER: ' " m , Q r~Z CITY OR TOWN: ST A TE: CODE Washington D. C. ...-4J — :.DATE (Check One) [H Excel ent D Good a Fair 1 I Deteriorated SI Ruins I | (Jnexposed CONDITION (Check One) (Check One) n Altered a Unaltered D Moved KD Original Site DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Fortress Rosecrans, located immediately west of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was constructed by units of the Army of the Cumberland (USA) under the direction of Brigadier General James St. C. Morton in early 1863. The Fortress, reportedly the largest earthenwork fortress constructed by Union forces in the Civil War, originally covered an area of approxi­ mately 225 acres. The site was chosen because it was near the geographic center of Tennessee and astride the main tracks of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. The Fortress originally included eight lunettes, four redoubts, a steam saw mill, a magazine, and several warehouses. Most of the original fortress has been lost due to urban development. Part of the original fortress site (formerly Redoubt Brannan) is owned by the National Park Service. The only extant portion is the several rn hundred feet of wall spanning from Lunette Thomas to Lunette Palmer). These remaining walls average approximately fifteen feet in height and rn twenty-five feet in thickness at the base. All are covered with large trees and heavy underbrush. ts* Present plans call for recreational facilities to be built west of the walls, while an effort will be made to restore the walls to their H original appearance. ~- n I PERIOD ("Check One or More as Appropriate) | | Pre-Columbian ' ( I 16th Century 18th Century 20th Century CD 15th Century d 17tri Century 19th Century SPECIFIC DATE(s) (If Applicable and Known) AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal I | Education D Political I| Urban Planning O Prehistoric [XI Engineering D Religion/Phi­ n Other (Specify; O Historic | | Industry losophy | | Agriculture | | Invention || Science | | Architecture I| Landscape I | Sculpture D Art Architecture I | Social/Human­ | 1 Commerce | | Literature itarian | | Communications [XJ Military | | Theater | | Conservation G Music | | Transportation STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE For two years, from early 1863 to 1865, Fortress Rosecrans played a sig­ nificant role in the success enjoyed by General William T. Sherman's forces as they moved from Nashville to Chattanooga to Atlanta to Savannah. From the massive supply depot protected by the walls of Fortress Rosecrans came logistical support that undergirded Sherman's good fortune. Reportedly the largest earthenwork fortification built by the Union army during the Civil War, Fortress Rosecrans served as a central point of Union Army strength in Tennessee and secured the rear of that army from any serious challenge. In late 1864, elements of the Confederate Army struck at Murfreesboro and Fortress Rosecrans in a desperate effort to halt the flow of supplies southeastward to Sherman. Under the immediate command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Confederates succeeded in disrupting rail communica­ tions briefly before being repulsed. Four months later the war ended. At some undetermined date following the conclusion of hostilities in 1865 Fortress Rosecrans was abandoned. The City of Murfreesboro, owners of the property, are very much interested in the fortress, and plans are under way for its preservation and protection in connection with a proposed recreation park in the area. > j vj I "Nl J. St. Clair Morton, Memoir Explaininq the Situation and Dpfpnsp of Fortress Rosecrans, (privatt2ly printed, 1863). Copy located ' in National Archives, Record Gi"oup 77, Item # M-4345-1863 AT\ ry^j r<-v LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES / LATITUDE ANp LONGIJT'JDE COO_R_DJN AXES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROOEP/Y 5 DEFINING THt; Utl^TER POINT OF A PHOPERTY D OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES - ———~Vrl ^ \ ........ _ /t K - — *~ • —— "MI — • — •• • — ° —' — • — - — • — • ^ N ^ CORNER LATITU DBfx"^ — •* LONGI TUDE/ -X LATITUDE LONGITUDE N tv> ^ Degrees Minutes SecgfojU^ J&earees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds O i • o t » NE S6-2 — 24"— "37 " ~- *35°""5T^"15-- SE 86^24'" 30" "^"-"St-'-OO " "^ ^) ^0 APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: "*g^ acres 9 7 "/^Ci \ \ Ali// / /^*X ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROP ER Tl ES OVERLAP PING STATE OR COUN TyBGtJ&i&ARl ESA " "v^/^. m STATE: ' CODE COUNTY -.. ^^^^ ->^ODE m STATE: ' ' CODE ' COUNTY: JvJ UifiSL ^ x ',-C< DE d ' .-AO^Q' ^ •z. STATE: . , CODE COUNTY: • "j^i ^^r*\?>^^' ' ~"*^ODE Crt \^>\ ^ '• v.^ J/ STATE: CODE COUNTY: ^V^SO^T^i- — ^T-<V*^ ^ ' CODE x^.Zf535X 70 NAME AND TITLE: • O James K. Huhta • • • ORGANIZATION .. DATE . H Murfreesbo'ro Arrhit.prtural an^ 7nn inn Society March l a 1974 STREET AND NUMBER: ^ 0 507 E. Northfield Blvd. -z. CITY OR TOWN: STATE CODE 1 . (X* Murfreesboro Tennessee.,,,,,., . , ,,„„„.,..-........ ,,,^J7...... As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na­ I hereby certify that this property is included in the tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law Nstional Register, 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the c-iteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. The recommended level of significance of this nomination is: Associate Director, Professional National Q State Q Local [g Services „„, Dale JUN 7 1974 Name u/W>UfcJk>/ L - L/P,R/y(M^ ATTEST: TitieDi rector of Field Services L^^^^L^^^^^^<^^-^^^y'&^, Tennessee Historical Commission /L<i£*-~-r Keeper of The Nationsfi Register Date March 21, 1974 Date £~ */ 7i Form 10-300a UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Tennessee^ NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER Fortress Rosecrans (Continuation Sheet) (Number all entries) Please substitute the enclosed U.S.G.S. Map for the one originally submitted and change the coordinates to read: Latitude Longitude NW 86°2$'06» NE 86°2U I $2» SE 86°2U ! 18" SW 86°2U'27tf and change the number of acres to 97-• The northeasternmost segment of the fortress wall as shown on the early map as being extant is in bad condition and is too far removed from the main portions to be consolidated in any restoration plans. GPO 921-724 l-arsii / V , f. * .-.'':' 2 .-.;-=-'•• f-.j*f i ~v •''••"•• j / * •'*-T \ • ™-i'*t » » 1 ""» : V V j, :' T,<& '?. Q*\ s -F - S i^LNM f f - A ^^'Vf>"/ *'A\ **-*vv X _ _ ^•<^^K^N/> XX %.//>^ -X* <" , • « . ' / X ,7/v //, v<4. </^/^ ^C^V*V<.*-,<> xv^.f ^^ ^/'X.X/N- . ..:."•; // • -l\ \ -^v^--\ .^•^VfW/ x - :-V--/ /- •^->^^X >' ^•.• H ' ^/^ViX'^</V><^\ ••• // ^/..•'- *•• - ,v \ • ^'OD<> "<% "X -X.-X. X \ •^/^/.i'-7 ,^C'V>*yV, 2 -\.^ y/ \// /''7 = " , V CD' II^i'M^ 5 = V >s:- -V .c! NFS Form 10-900 OMB (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service FEB23S95 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM INTERAGENCY RESOURCES DIVISION This form is for use in nominating or requesting determin tions ertieii and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the Mat-.innal Register gf Hi's€or'ic*"t>laces^ Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A) . Complete each item by marking "X" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions/ architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NFS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items._______________ 1. Name of Property historic name Fortress Rosecrans (Additional Documentation)_______________ other names/site number 2. Location street & number Located NW of the city of Murfreesboro on Lytle Creek on the West Fork of Stones River not for publication city or town Murfreesboro vicinity x state Tennessee_______ code 47 county Rutherford code 149 zip code _____________ 3.