A walk to remember

By Mr Kevin Stabinsky (IMCOM)July 25, 2011

A walk to remember
1 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Some people may still not know where their steps will lead once Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem close, but one can retrace the footsteps of the past on Fort McPherson in less than 30 minutes on a walking tour through the historic district on the insta... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
2 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 1: Hodges Hall The post headquarters, Hodges Hall, was built in 1904 as a double barracks at a cost of $55,000. It was built in a horseshoe shape, and unlike other barracks buildings across Hedekin Field (stop 12), does not have the standard 30-... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
3 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 2: Troop Row Construction of Troop Row began in 1889 at the east end with Building 56. All of the buildings, with the exception of Building 60, which sits in the center of the row, were designed as double barracks. Building 60 was designed as a ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
4 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 4: Lawrence Joel Troop Medical Clinic The original post hospital, General Hospital No. 6, was built between 1886 and 1889 at a cost of $11,414. During World War I, the hospital was so important the post was commanded by the senior ranking medica... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
5 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 5: Public Safety The three buildings comprising the public safety offices, Bldg. 100, 101 and 102, were completed in 1898, 1893 and 1889, respectively. The first two were storehouses for the commissary and the quartermaster, while Bldg. 102 was ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
6 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 6: Old post fire house Built in 1918 as the post fire house, it had the capacity for one truck and seven beds. The brickwork covering the vehicle entrance can be seen in the insert photo. The building later saw use as a post office, beginning in... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
7 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 7: Post Chapel Center Construction was completed on this one-story, brick facility, which served as a guardhouse and post prison, in 1893 at a reported cost of $13,000. The main floor provided rooms for the Officer of the Guard, NCOs of the guar... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
8 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 8: Recreation Center Built in 1918 by the Red Cross, the building served as a convalescent center for hospital patients. The building was built in the shape of a Maltese cross. In 1919, the building was taken over by the Army, which converted it... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
9 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 9: Pershing Hall The original bachelor officer's quarters was completed in 1904. It was originally given the number 16 to incorporate the structure with the number system used for the 19 quarters on Staff Row (stop 11). This is the reason there ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
10 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 10: Van Horn Hall Originally the post headquarters, the two-story building was completed in 1889. In 1893, $17 was approved to install electric bells and connections in the building to facilitate communication. Thus, the first known "intercom" s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
11 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 11: Staff Row Staff Row consists of 19 officer quarters, four of which are single-Family residences. The other 15 are duplexes. The quarters were built between 1891 and 1910 at an average cost of $15,000. The final home built on Staff Row is the... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
12 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 12: Hedekin Field Staff Row faces the post parade ground, Hedekin Field, which was originally a polo field. The field is named in honor of Capt. David Drew Hedekin, an avid polo player who commanded the garrison Headquarters Company from 1936 un... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
A walk to remember
13 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Stop 13: Quarters 10 Quarters 10 is the centerpiece of Staff Row. Originally known as the Commandants Quarters, it is home to the Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces Command. Completed in 1892, the three-story home has 12-foot-high ceilings on the... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

With the addition of a new dog to the household, I’ve begun walking more often. To keep things fresh, I’ve been looking at different routes to keep not only myself entertained, but also Spartacus, my dog.

In doing so, I picked up a pamphlet prepared by the Garrison Public Affairs Office (PAO) detailing a walking tour around Fort McPherson. The tour, which only takes about 30 minutes to walk, nevertheless takes people through Fort McPherson’s 126 year history, taking them on a sightseeing endeavor. Armed with the pamphlet, people can learn about the storied past of some of Fort McPherson’s oldest buildings and how they have changed over the years, not only in function, but sometimes in name and appearance.

With Fort McPherson scheduled to close in less than two months (and with many individuals duties decreasing), now is a perfect time to enjoy the summer weather and take a stroll through Fort McPherson’s past, take some pictures and make some memories before it is all gone.

Information for this story comes from the Fort McPherson Walking Tour pamphlet available at the Fort McPherson PAO at the Garrison Headquarters (Bldg. 65). The pamphlet was prepared by the Garrison PAO.

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