Andersonville National Historic Site
Also known as: Andersonville National Cemetery; Anderson Prison Park
Why it's listed
Andersonville National Historic Site covers 495 acres in Macon County, Georgia, and joins two areas once run by the U.S. Army: a national cemetery and the grounds of a Civil War prison. Construction of the prison began in 1863, and the log stockade enclosed about 27 acres. Earthworks including redans, a redoubt and a Star Fort protected it, and some of these remain along with escape tunnels dug by prisoners. The cemetery, set in a clearing about 300 yards northwest, was established in 1865 and holds 24,792 gravesites inside a red brick wall built in 1872. Clara Barton and a party arrived in 1865 to identify and mark graves. Many state monuments, mostly from 1900 to 1916, stand at the cemetery and prison site. The Women's Relief Corps of the GAR owned the prison park before donating it to the federal government in 1911. The prison and cemetery are rated as First Order resources, with most other buildings and monuments rated Third Order.
Significance in brief: The nomination rates the cemetery and the prison site as 'First Order' resources. The prison site holds the remains of the Civil War stockade earthworks, the Star Fort and escape tunnels, and the cemetery holds the graves of Union prisoners who died there. Dozens of state and Women's Relief Corps monuments commemorate the dead.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 70000070, listed October 16, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 mi. E of Andersonville on GA 49, Andersonville |
|---|---|
| County | Macon County |
| Listed | October 16, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000070 |
| Resource type | District |
| Areas of significance | Military, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operated as a park and cemetery; the Cemetery Lodge now houses park offices and the Chapel housed the visitor contact station in 1977. Present use is listed as park and cemetery, occupied. |
| Acreage | 488 |
| Coordinates | 32.20669, -84.12325 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 70000070.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q491712
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.