Shiloh National Military Park Tour Roads, Shiloh, Hardin County, TN

Significance: Shiloh National Military Park is one of the earliest national battlefield parks. The 3,972 acre park is located in rural Hardin County in southwestern Tennessee. It was established in 1894, making it the third military park created by the federal government to memorialize significant military engagements of the Civil War, coming after Chattanooga/Chickamauga National Military Park and Antietam National Battlefield, both of which began in 1890. The park roads facilitate the access, documentation, and commemoration of one of the first major battles of the western campaign of the Civil War which occurred on April 6 and 7, 1862 at Pittsburg Landing near Shiloh, Tennessee. The history and development of these roads reflect changing interpretations of the historic conflict, of the ideologies of battlefield preservation, and of the changing expectations of a national park experience. The roads form an integral part of the cultural landscape by shaping the education and recreational experience of park visitors. Most are a legacy of the historic traces that existed at the time of the battle and of park roadway design.

The park roads are also significant for the role they played in local transportation development. This region's earliest modern paved roadways first appeared in the park. The relationship between the park's intentions for Shiloh National Military Park roads and vernacular expectations and desires continues to be an area of contention and accommodation.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N669
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N902
Survey number: HAER TN-37
Building/structure dates: 1894-1932 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1933-1954 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1954-1981 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: after 1981 Subsequent Work