Standing Peachtree Historical Markers

Local historians call this unassuming 60-acre Buckhead park along the Chattahoochee River and Peachtree Creek one of the most historic sites in the City of Atlanta. Archaic period artifacts from 10,000 years ago have been discovered around this Creek/Muscogee Indian village at 2630 Ridgewood Rd. Twenty-five years before the founding of Atlanta this spot gave us the ubiquitous name Peachtree. This site also hosted an American fort and boatyard during the War of 1812 along with Civil War embankments 50 years later.

But what happened to the historical markers installed by the state in the 1950’s, and the recreated Fort Peachtree structure dedicated by Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson in 1976? And what part did the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, terrorism and something Atlantans use every day play in their disappearance?

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In the early 1800’s the Standing Peach Tree Native American village stood here, spanning both sides of the Chattahoochee River and an island surrounded by shoals. The village was a major trading center and it’s name was the antecedent for the numerous “Peachtree” streets found in Atlanta today.

L-R: John Beach, Buckhead Heritage, David Enniss, Sr Mgmt Analyst, Atlanta Watershed Mgmt Dept, Al Wiggins, Commissioner, Atlanta Watershed Mgmt Dept.  We did not have to twist the Commissioner’s arm to get this project completed.

Fort Peachtree was constructed next to the Indian village by American soldiers during the War of 1812 because the Chattahoochee River was navigable below  these shoals. Army soldiers built Peach Tree Trail from Fort Daniel in Gwinnett County to this site to move wagons of supplies here. This new Buckhead fort was then used to house and protect a platoon of soldiers who built boats for the U.S. Army to float supplies down the Chattahoochee River to Fort Mitchell near Columbus, Ga. The Peach Tree wagon trail moved supplies to resupply troops in Alabama; portions of this road are now known as Peachtree Road, W. Paces Ferry Road, and Moores Mill Road. A model recreation of the original fort was built here in the 1970’s and remains behind locked gates today.

Some of the many Creek Nation Chiefs agreed to a Treaty in 1821, selling 4 M acres from Macon to Atlanta, including this land, to the United States. James McC. Montgomery had helped build Fort Peachtree while in the army and  acquired 1,000 acres here about 1821. He opened the first Post Office in the Atlanta area here in 1825 and also operated Montgomery’s Ferry on this property spanning the Chattahoochee River. It remained the only traffic crossing on the main road from Atlanta to Marietta until 1872.

The Standing Peachtree Park was closed to the public prior to the 1996 Olympics due to concerns about the safety of Atlanta’s water supply. The Chattahoochee River water intake infrastructure is also located on a portion of the property, supplying the city’s water to treatment and pumping facilities. In 2014 the Atlanta City Council worked with the city and Watershed Department to reopen a portion of this important park for public access. But the three historical markers and recreated fort remained in the secured portion of the site inaccessible to the public.

It’s gratifying to see park visitors stopping to read the historical markers again at Standing Peachtree Park.

Buckhead Heritage lobbied the city to reopen the park and has been working to replace or move the historical signage and fort to the public portion to help educate visitors. The City of Atlanta,  Watershed Management Department, Georgia Historical Society and Councilwoman Mary Norwood worked with us to move the markers.

Other groups advocating for this much needed site signage improvement included the Paces Civic Association; the Fort Peachtree DAR Chapter; the General Society of the War of 1812; the National Society, U.S. Daughters of 1812; and the Chattahoochee Riverwalk Initiative. Paces Construction Co. donated labor and materials to install new posts and move the signs.

Patience and perseverance are often required in preservation work. This project outlasted several administrations, budgeting issues, staff departures, a pandemic and other challenges. And we’re still discussing how to address the inaccessible recreated fort. But we have the signs back in front of the public after a 30-year hiatus, and sincerely appreciate the help of all involved.