U.S. 76, Chatsworth, Georgia. County/parish: Murray.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places November 23, 1977. NRIS 77001587.
1 contributing site. 1 contributing structure.Also known as:
Fort Mountain is a mountain in northern Georgia, just east of Chatsworth. It is part of the Cohutta Mountains, a small mountain range at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. It also lies within the Chattahoochee National Forest.
A main feature of Fort Mountain is an ancient rock formation or ruin of uncertain origin, from which the mountain takes its name. The site lies within Fort Mountain State Park and consists of a series of stone piles lying in a long uneven line that follows the contour of the mountainside. Estimates of its length vary. In a previously published archaeological report, Philip E. Smith (University Of Georgia) gives 928 feet (283 m) as its length, while the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (State Parks Division) estimates the length as 855 feet (261 m). In a book published in 1997, David Freedman, discussing this and similar walls, wrote that "Most experts believe that such wall enclosures were built during the Middle Woodland period (100 BCE-500 CE) when agriculture and food storage methods were well established. This enabled people to live a more settled existence and to devote their energies to large-scale building projects which perhaps would have taken generations to complete."
A stone fire tower, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and located in the park, marks the summit of the mountain. A hiking path around the park leads up to a scenic overlook of Cool Springs Valley. The park also has a mountain lake, cabins, camping, and public facilities.
Two main highways cross Fort Mountain connecting the counties of Murray and Gilmer, Georgia. A steep, curving scenic route, Georgia SR 52, runs east-west between Chatsworth and Ellijay, affording views of the Cohutta Mountains; there is at least one overlook with parking. Organizations located on that route include Fort Mountain State Park and Global Youth Ministry. Southeast of Chatsworth, SR 282 crosses the mountain, running concurrently with SR 2/US 76 from Ramhurst to East Ellijay.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93209053