A 14-acre forest in Atlanta that played a significant role in the Civil War is being targeted by real estate developers as the site of a proposed 236-unit apartment complex.
According to combined media reports, the undeveloped forest was the location of a Confederate military encampment under the leadership of General Samuel French. The soldiers that camped out in the forest would later become embroiled in the Battle of Peachtree Creek and the decisive Battle of Atlanta, both fought in July 1864.
The property in question, which is located in northwest Atlanta alongside the Underwood Hills neighborhood, does not have historic landmark status that would prevent commercial development. Albert Ashkoti, the property's owner, wants to break ground on the proposed apartment complex later this year. Ashkoti refused to respond to media inquiries about the historic value of the land, but local residents urged that the forest be examined before the bulldozers arrive.
‘If there were some archaeological or historic significance to this particular area, I think that would definitely add some value to the neighborhood,’ says Wyatt Gordon, president of the local neighborhood association.
If the forest were to be demolished in favor of apartment construction, it would not be unprecedented. According to the nonprofit Civil War Trust, nearly 20% of Civil War battlefields have been lost to commercial development, while only 15% of those remaining enjoy protection as national parks.
