Press Release:
Expansion will add to historical significance of battlefield
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., David Perdue, R-Ga., and U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga.-11, today announced they have reintroduced legislation in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to add eight acres of land to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Kennesaw, Ga. The expansion would include the historic Wallis House and Harriston Hill, and the additional acreage is expected to be donated to the park.
“Expanding the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to include the Wallis House and Harriston Hill will add to the historical significance of the park by giving visitors an opportunity to experience key strategies and positions of troops during the Civil War,” said Senator Isakson. “I hope both the House and Senate will act quickly to allow this expansion.”
“The Wallis House and Harriston Hill have rich historical significance to Georgia and the entire country,” said Senator Perdue. “Expanding the park boundaries to include these properties will give park visitors a full picture of the battleground’s history. I’m proud to join my fellow Georgians in working to preserve our state’s history.”
“The eight acres of property this bill will preserve at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park might be small in size, but they are rich in Georgia history,” said Congressman Loudermilk. “That is why I’ve introduced this bill in the House for a third consecutive Congress. I thank my fellow Georgian and colleague, Senator Isakson, for introducing this bill again in the Senate, and I look forward to this bipartisan legislation getting across the finish line so Georgians and tourists can learn about this historical piece of land for generations.”
The Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Boundary Adjustment Act authorizes the National Park Service to acquire the land in question from willing landowners by donation, purchase or exchange. The eight acres that will be added to the park have already been purchased by Cobb County and the Cobb Land Trust for the purposes of donating it to the National Park Service.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park protects Kennesaw Mountain and Kolb’s Farm, which are Civil War battle sites along the route of General Sherman’s 1864 campaign to take Atlanta. The Wallis House is one of the few remaining structures from the battle and its inclusion will provide visitors with a unique perspective of the park’s historical significance.
Expanding the park to include these additional eight acres will more effectively convey the magnitude of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. The park attracts more than two million visitors a year and set a record attendance in 2017, the most recent year with data available.
The legislation was previously introduced in the 113th, 114th and 115th sessions of Congress, and U.S. Representatives Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.,-02, Jody Hice, R-Ga.-10, and Hank Johnson, D-Ga.-04 joined in introducing the 2019 legislation.