History:

Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia lies just seven miles south of Chattanooga, Tennessee boasting a rich military heritage and natural beauty dating back to the Cherokee Indians.  Fort Oglethorpe is home to the Chickamauga National Military Park, the nation’s oldest and largest Civil War Battlefield.  The Battle of Chickamauga (September 18 – 20, 1863) was the last great Southern victory, with losses totaling 18,000 Confederate and 16,000 Union soldiers.

The City is located on the former site of the U.S. Army Post at Fort Oglethorpe (1902 – 1946).  The Post made significant military and medical contributions in World War I and II, but was deemed too small to remain open.  Sold as surplus to private individuals, the City of Fort Oglethorpe was incorporated in 1949, making it the first new city in the State of Georgia in 25 years.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the officer homes, band barrack, and guardhouse on Barnhardt Circle surround the Post’s parade ground preserving the military heritage that was transformed into the City of Fort Oglethorpe.