2008 Woodie Awards
Stones River Battlefield receives $1 million grant for renovation
Michael Stone
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: News
Legislation for a $1 million renovation of Stones River National Battlefield's entrance roads was approved by the House of Representatives on Nov. 14.
This money is part of an annual Appropriations Bill from the Department of Transportation.
"The renovations we plan to do are badly needed," said the battlefield's superintendent, Stuart Johnson. "The tour loop was built in 1963, so there is much that needs to be renovated."
The $1 million is not going to be enough for all that the battlefield staff wants to get done, so all the possible renovations are being prioritized.
The top of the priority list includes building two new entrances to make the park more accessible to visitors, rerouting part of the existing tour route, and making parts of the tour roads accessible to only pedestrians and cyclists.
"Even though the $1 million will not cover all the renovations, we hope to eventually get more funding to finish them," said Johnson.
These roads are used by the battlefield's 200,000 yearly visitors.
"We see a mix with the type of people that visit the park. Everyone from families to school groups come here. Some MTSU students come as well because of class requirements. We hope to see an increase in the number of visitors to the park with the entrance-way renovations," said Johnson.
U. S. Representative Bart Gordon has been backing the Stones River part of the Appropriation Bill.
The Appropriations Bill has passed through the House of Representatives, but not Congress.
"We hope to see the bill passed through Congress by the end of this year," said Gordon's spokeswoman, Julie Eubanks.
Stones River is important because it was a major turning point for both the Union and the Confederacy in the Civil War.
"The Battle of Stones River enabled the North to take its first significant territory in the South. With the territory earned after the battle, the North built Fortress Rosecrans, which became a major supply depot for them. Also, the Union built their first cemetery in the South at Stones River," said Ellen Garrison, associate professor of history.
The battle itself covered 4,000 acres, but only 600 of that is preserved by the park.
The North and the South lost significant numbers in the battle. The North lost 1,730 men, while the South lost 1,294 men, according to the battlefield's Web site.
Mostly Union soldiers are buried in the cemetery portion of the park because it was originally a Union cemetery.
Of the 7,123 headstones, around 6,100 are for Union soldiers. The remaining graves were dug later in the war, and most of them the people buried are unidentifiable.
"The battle was no Antietam, but it was very bloody," said Garrison.
Stones River National Battlefield will be open this winter everyday of the week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This money is part of an annual Appropriations Bill from the Department of Transportation.
"The renovations we plan to do are badly needed," said the battlefield's superintendent, Stuart Johnson. "The tour loop was built in 1963, so there is much that needs to be renovated."
The $1 million is not going to be enough for all that the battlefield staff wants to get done, so all the possible renovations are being prioritized.
The top of the priority list includes building two new entrances to make the park more accessible to visitors, rerouting part of the existing tour route, and making parts of the tour roads accessible to only pedestrians and cyclists.
"Even though the $1 million will not cover all the renovations, we hope to eventually get more funding to finish them," said Johnson.
These roads are used by the battlefield's 200,000 yearly visitors.
"We see a mix with the type of people that visit the park. Everyone from families to school groups come here. Some MTSU students come as well because of class requirements. We hope to see an increase in the number of visitors to the park with the entrance-way renovations," said Johnson.
U. S. Representative Bart Gordon has been backing the Stones River part of the Appropriation Bill.
The Appropriations Bill has passed through the House of Representatives, but not Congress.
"We hope to see the bill passed through Congress by the end of this year," said Gordon's spokeswoman, Julie Eubanks.
Stones River is important because it was a major turning point for both the Union and the Confederacy in the Civil War.
"The Battle of Stones River enabled the North to take its first significant territory in the South. With the territory earned after the battle, the North built Fortress Rosecrans, which became a major supply depot for them. Also, the Union built their first cemetery in the South at Stones River," said Ellen Garrison, associate professor of history.
The battle itself covered 4,000 acres, but only 600 of that is preserved by the park.
The North and the South lost significant numbers in the battle. The North lost 1,730 men, while the South lost 1,294 men, according to the battlefield's Web site.
Mostly Union soldiers are buried in the cemetery portion of the park because it was originally a Union cemetery.
Of the 7,123 headstones, around 6,100 are for Union soldiers. The remaining graves were dug later in the war, and most of them the people buried are unidentifiable.
"The battle was no Antietam, but it was very bloody," said Garrison.
Stones River National Battlefield will be open this winter everyday of the week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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