Key Parcels Secured to Continue Restoration of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Tuesday, June 9th, 2026
American Battlefield Trust, with support from Georgia Battlefields Association and a matching contribution from Sandy Springs residents R. L. and Christina J. Dougherty, has completed the $1 million acquisition of two important parcels along Cheatham Hill Road. The 2.63-acre site adjoins the western edge of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park near the Illinois Monument.
The property includes approximately 1,000 feet of frontage along Cheatham Hill and John Ward roads, about one mile south of Dallas Highway in Marietta. It marks a pivotal section of the battlefield, where Union and Confederate forces clashed during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864. The site’s extensive road frontage and location make it a uniquely important piece of the historic landscape.
The acquisition removes the last remaining developed stretch along a two-mile section of the battlefield’s western boundary, preserving a continuous historic landscape that had been at risk of permanent alteration.
“For me, this is about leaving a mark that matters,” said R. L. Dougherty. “I’ve been looking at this property for a long time because of how significant it is, not just for its location and frontage, but for what it represents. As a longtime member of the Georgia Battlefields Association and the Atlanta Civil War Round Table, I believe strongly in the importance of preserving these places so future generations can understand the history that shaped this country. If we don’t protect and teach it, we risk losing it.”
Two houses and several outbuildings currently on the property, most recently used for a scrap metal recycling operation, will be demolished. The land will then be restored as closely as possible to its 1864 appearance.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park spans nearly 3,000 acres and preserves a significant battleground of the Atlanta Campaign, where opposing forces maneuvered and fought from June 19 to July 2, 1864. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain marked one of the campaign’s most consequential clashes, as Union Gen. William T. Sherman pushed toward Atlanta.
Dougherty, a retired real estate developer with a longstanding interest in local history, has previously led preservation efforts in the region. More than 25 years ago, he relocated a circa-1850 artist studio that faced demolition, incorporating it into a development project on Sessions Street.
The American Battlefield Trust, a national charitable organization, works to preserve historic battlegrounds and educate the public about their significance. The group partners with willing sellers and uses a range of conservation strategies to protect land in perpetuity. Officials say the newly acquired parcels will ultimately be incorporated into the national park, enhancing public access and strengthening educational opportunities at one of Georgia’s most visited historic sites.
