Although Kings Mountain National Military Park was established in 1931, honoring
the legacy of Kings Mountain runs much deeper.
Located near the border between South and North Carolina, the battle of
Kings Mountain was an important turning point during the southern campaign of
the Revolutionary War. A group of backcountry militia men overran loyalist
forces under the command of Major Patrick Ferguson providing a much needed boost
to the morale of patriot forces throughout America. This Military Park honors
the patriot victory of October 7, 1780.
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| Original 1815 Chronicle Marker next to a replica |
The first memorial to the battle appeared on Kings Mountain in 1815 with
the dedication of the chronicle marker, the second oldest battlefield monument
in the United States. Over the years a series of monuments and markers emerged
on the slopes of Kings Mountain honoring the events that took place there. In
1909 the U.S. Monument was dedicated, towering 83 feet near the top of Kings
Mountain. Despite the historic events of the battle and efforts to remember the
sacrifices of the fallen through monuments, it was not until 1931 that congress
created the Kings Mountain National Military Park.
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| U.S. Monument |
Rather than introducing new commemorative monuments, the National Park
Service manages the Military Park to reflect the landscape and forest as it
looked during the time of the battle. These efforts rely on the innovative use
of controlled fires to burn the forest’s understory in an effort to return the
site back to its appearance during the 1780’s. The growth and management of
non-native plant species is also tightly controlled, which allows native plants
to flourish in the Park. The natural environment
in the Military Park looks very different from the surrounding areas, and gives
visitors a unique glimpse into our past.
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| Forests of Kings Mountain |
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| Battlefield hiking trail |
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