Historic Structures Survey and Cold War Evaluation of Kelley Hill Cantonment Fort Benning Military Reservatioin, Georgia

The Environmental Programs Branch, Directorate Facilities Engineering and Logistics, Fort Benning Military Reservation, Georgia, sought a Cold War Historic Structures Survey for Kelley Hill Cantonment, which is located east of the Main Post. The survey was undertaken to assist Fort Benning staff with their responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The U.S. Army generally uses the dates 1946-1989 to delineate the Cold War period and has created a specific set of guidelines for the management of Cold War properties under their care (Fort Worth USACE 1997). Panamerican Consultants, Inc. (PC I) used these guidelines to evaluate the structures at Kelley Hill Cantonment.

PCI reviewed all previous architectural studies and cultural resources management plans (CRMPs) related to Fort Benning. The review of these reports helped identify potential Cold War structures, groupings, issues, and provided background for both the Cold War history of Kelley Hill and the history of installation's cultural resources studies. The Cold War Property Identification, Evaluation and Management Guidelines (Fort Worth USACE 1997) and a number of other Cold War military reports were consulted for information specifically related to Kelley Hill, Fort Benning, and the Cold War. These reports served as the starting point for PCI's research of the Cold War era at Fort Benning.

While in the field, PCI's team of Architectural Historians identified all Kelley Hill Cantonment buildings and structures, conducted a pedestrian survey of those buildings, photographed them (2 sets of 35mm negatives accompany this report), assessed their National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility, particularly as they relate to Criterion Consideration G for exceptional importance, completed a structure evaluation form on every building regardless of age, and consulted with a number of individuals regarding Kelley Hill's history.

One hundred and fifty-four (154) buildings and structures were surveyed within Kelley Hill Cantonment (Appendix A). Of those 154 buildings and structures, approximately 110 are Cold War era buildings, with the remaining 44 post Cold War era. None oftl1e buildings and structures within Kelley Hill Cantonment are individually eligible for the NRHP. Because of the lack of integrity and the failure to meet the designation of exceptional importance as outlined in Criterion Consideration G and the Army Cold War Guidelines. Kelley Hill Cantonment 1 is not eligible for the NRHP as a historic district.