The Mansion as it looked during the
Battle of Chickamauga in 1863
The History of the
Gordon-Lee Mansion
The beautiful and historic Gordon-Lee Mansion, one of the South's older and more historic antebellum plantation houses, is located in Northwest Georgia's Historic High Country in the quaint town of Chickamauga, Georgia just 18 miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee and set on seven manicured acres, lined with elms and maples, with a formal English and Southern vegetable garden. The Mansion is a step back in time to the atmosphere of early Southern aristocracy and is the only structure left standing from, that was used during, the great Battle of Chickamauga. It was built in 1847 by Mr. James Gordon, who purchased 2500 acres, in 1836, from settlers who had won it in the Cherokee Land lottery . Approximately 800 feet from the house is Crawfish Springs, which had served the Cherokee Nation as one of its division courthouses. In February of 1863, Mr. James Lee (the son-in-law of James Gordon) owned the house when it served the Union Army of the Cumberland's General William Rosecrans as his headquarters prior to the Battle of Chickamauga (September 16 - 19, 1863) and the site of seven division hospitals during (September 19 & 20, 1863) the Battle. It also served the Confederate Army as a hospital (September 20 - 30, 1863) after the Battle. A cannon battle took place on its grounds. In 1889 the Mansion's grounds became the birthplace of the oldest and largest Civil War Battlefield in the United States at the Blue and Gray Barbecue, (14,000 veterans were in attendance), hosted by the owner of the house at that time, (James Lee's son) the Honorable Gordon Lee, seventh district US Congressman from Georgia. The Mansion today is owned by Dr. Frank Green who, in 1974, purchased the house and had it restored, with the help of three prominent authorities, back to its antebellum splendor; furnishing it with museum quality period antiques of Federal, Empire, and early Victorian origin, oriental floor coverings, and crystal and brass chandeliers to insure its authenticity.
Historic links to
visit
Walker County Georgia
Historic High Country
Chickamauga Georgia
Chattanooga Tennessee
Chickamauga Campaign Heritage
Trail