Old Fort Park and Golf Course is a 50-acre park and public

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

located in

Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

The park grounds include the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

era ''Fortress Rosecrans'' and two

trailhead A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain rest rooms, maps, sign posts and distribution centers for information ...

s to the City's Greenway system. The park is bound on two sides by the West Fork of the

Stones River The Stones River (properly spelled Stone's River) is a major stream of the eastern portion of Tennessee's Nashville Basin region. It is named after explorer and longhunter Uriah Stone, who navigated the river in 1767. Geography and hydrography T ...

and is bound on the east by Lytle Creek, with a small spring fed tributary to the Creek, Springs Branch, bisecting the public park.

Old Fort Park

The original park site was once private farm land which was then bought by the City of Murfreesboro in 1965. The park was dedicated on October 29, 1977. The park comprises and has three picnic shelters, two play grounds, two baseball fields, eight tennis courts and green areas. In 2010, the City began a $330,000 restoration project aimed at improving the quality of the waterways and preserving the natural spaces. In October 2013, the City broke ground on a new $3.7 million indoor tennis facility. The joint-venture with

Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies, together off ...

will feature eight new tennis courts and will be open to the public as well as serve as the home of the Blue Raider men's and women's tennis programs.

Kids' Castle

The main playground of the park is "Kids' Castle" which was built in 1995 over the site of the original playground. Initially built of wood, the Castle was rebuilt in 2012 using synthetic materials at a cost of $300,000. The Castle was funded in part through the

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is a Cabinet-level agency within the government of the U.S. state of Tennessee, headed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation. The Department of Conservation ...

Fortress Rosecrans

Fortress Rosecrans is a large earthwork

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

built in 1863 under the direction of

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

General James Morton. The Fortress was given its name in honor of

William Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was t ...

, Commander of the

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

. The largest fort built during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, it encompassed an area of and had a perimeter of . Built following the

Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Ame ...

, the Fortress originally included eight

lunettes A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...

, four

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

s, a sawmill, magazines, and soldier's barracks. Sitting astride the

Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

and two major roads, the fort became a center for logistical support for the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

. By June 12, 1863 the fort was garrisoned with 2,394 men and by October, the

22nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 22nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment (nicknamed the "Abolition Regiment") was a volunteer infantry regiment from Wisconsin that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was commanded by Colonel William L. Utley, a politician and ...

had been stationed there.

Construction

The fort was built using the labor of 4,000 men, including a large number of

African-Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

. The walls averaged in height and in thickness at the base. They were made of compacted earth with wooden planks reinforcing the structure. A 10-foot (3 meter) ditch was dug in front of the walls and filled with

abatis An abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a field fortification consisting of an obstacle formed (in the modern era) of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy. The trees are usually interlaced ...

to deter an enemy charge.

Today

The fortress was never directly attacked during the War and by 1932 much of it had been lost, destroyed by development. Of its original of earthworks only remain. The remaining earthworks comprise the "Fortress Rosecrans" section of the Park. Of the four interior redoubts within Fortress Rosecrans, only Redoubt Brannan survives to this day. Redoubt Brannan lies outside of the Park boundaries. The fortress lies between the tennis courts and the public golf course. A series of interpretive trails and boardwalks run through the remaining fortified sections and include construction facts, quotes, diagrams, and other information. The City's Greenway "Fortress Rosecrans" trailhead is also located here.

Golf course

The Old Fort Golf Club was established by the City in 1985 and was designed by Leon Howard and Denis Griffiths. The 18-hole golf course runs 6,859 yards with a Par score of 72. The course rating is 72.8 and it has a slope rating of 125. The facility also has two 8,000 sq ft putting and chipping greens and a clubhouse. Junior, beginner and intermediate classes can be taken at the facility. Private lessons are also available with the on-staff

PGA PGA is an acronym or initialism that may stand for: Aviation * IATA code for Page Municipal Airport, Coconino County, Arizona * ICAO designator for Portugália, regional airline based in Lisbon, Portugal * Abbreviation for Prince George Airport ...

instructor. There are three golf associations at the Club, the Men's Golf Association, Ladies' Golf Associate and the Senior League.

Gallery

References

External links

{{commonscat, Fortress Rosecrans
Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department

Original 1960 US National Park Service report, 199 pages

Murfreesboro, Tennessee National Battlefields and Military Parks of the United States Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee Protected areas of Rutherford County, Tennessee Tourist attractions in Rutherford County, Tennessee William Rosecrans Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Rutherford County, Tennessee American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee 1977 establishments in Tennessee Protected areas established in 1977