Fort Oglethorpe City Hall is located at 500 City Hall Drive, Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742.
Phone: 706-866-2544.
Beginnings [†]
In 1902, 810 acres were secured just north of the Chickamauga National Military Park and construction was begun on Chickamauga Park (North Post). It included officers' quarters, barracks and stables, parade grounds, hospital and support buildings. The architecture reflected the Classical Renaissance Revival style featured at the Columbia Exposition of 1892 and is best expressed in the officers' quarters on Barnhardt Circle. President Theodore Roosevelt visited the cavalry post in 1903 while it was under construction.
The post was dedicated December 27, 1904 and named "Fort Oglethorpe" for the founder of the Georgia colony, James Oglethorpe. It was used as camp of instruction and maneuvers for regular army and national guard troops in 1906, 1908 and 1910.
By 1946 the Army had determined the post could not be enlarged for future use and the property was declared surplus. The land and structures were sold to the public. Of prominence today, the Post hospital continues as part of the Hutcheson Medical Center, the officers' quarters around Barnhardt Circle are now private homes and several post buildings have been converted to new uses. The post gymnasium is now a restaurant and antique shop, the PX is now an antique store, one stable houses a gift shop and one of the officers' houses is a bed-and-breakfast. The brick houses near the hospital, known as Sergeants Row, serve several auxiliary departments of the hospital. At the entrance to the parade grounds and Barnhardt Circle, the Post chapel is on the left and the Post theater on the right. The original flag pole and the original Post bandstand can also be seen. A group of local citizens organized and petitioned for the creation of a town to be called "Fort Oglethorpe" that generally incorporated the boundaries of the old post, and in 1949 Georgia founded its first town in 25 years. With the built town in place, the city council concentrated on establishing an elementary school and assuring the utilities would keep abreast with the anticipated population growth. Annexation of land and development of major streets and thoroughfares have fostered the growth of the town.
The old parade ground was purchased by the city with the stipulation that 9 acres would be used for a school and the remainder to be used as a public park.
† www.catoosachamberofcommerce.com. accessed March, 2024.
Neighborhoods
Nearby Towns: Chattanooga City • Hixson •