Camp Nelson was established by the US Army back in April 1863. Originally, it served as a fortified supply depot during the Civil War. But as time went on, it evolved into a recruitment and training center for African American soldiers—known as the United States Colored Troops. It even became a refuge for families and civilians fleeing the turmoil of war.
Camp Nelson Timeline (Civil War → Present)
1863
- June: Union Army establishes Camp Nelson as a major supply depot, logistics hub, and training center to support operations in Tennessee.
1864
- January–June: Expansion of warehouses, hospitals, stables, and defensive works.
- June: Camp Nelson begins recruiting U.S. Colored Troops (USCT).
- Summer–Fall: Thousands of enslaved men enlist. Their families come seeking freedom, forming informal refugee communities.
- November: Union authorities expel hundreds of women and children in cold weather; many die. Outcry leads to reforms.
1865
- February–March: Refugee housing and services expand; Camp Nelson becomes one of the largest wartime emancipation centers.
- April: Civil War ends; demobilization begins.
- Fall: Camp operations shrink drastically.
1866
- Camp officially closed and abandoned by the Army.
1860s–1900s
- Many camp buildings are dismantled; farmland returns.
Late 20th century
- Local historians and preservation groups begin protecting surviving structures and landscapes.
1990s–2010s
- The museum and interpretive center open; archaeological studies expand understanding of the camp.
2018
- Camp Nelson becomes an official U.S. National Monument (National Park Service).
Today
- The site preserves critical Civil War and African American history, with trails, restored structures, and interpretive exhibits.
Camp Nelson played a significant role in the abolition movement and the fight for civil rights. Check out any informational plaques or signs along the trails to learn more about this important chapter in history.
Location
6614 Danville Loop 2 Road
Nicholasville, KY 40356
Visitor Center Hours
From Memorial Day to Labor Day:
Monday-Sunday
9:00am-5:00pm
The rest of the year:
Wednesday-Sunday
9:00am-5:00pm
Email us:
Historical Overview
Camp Nelson was located in Jessamine County, south of Lexington along the Kentucky River palisades and it was one of the most important Union Army installations in the Civil War.
Camp Nelson was established by the U.S. Army in April 1863. It started as a fortified supply depot during the Civil War but quickly transformed into a vital recruitment and training center for African American soldiers. This camp became a refuge for families and individuals looking for safety, freedom, and a new beginning.
The full wartime installation covered approximately 4,000 acres, with:
- Fortifications
- Barracks
- Stables
- Supply depots-It became the third-largest Union supply installation, after Louisville and Nashville.
- Hospitals- It operated large medical facilities for troops in Kentucky and Tennessee.
- Refugee camps-Enslaved men who enlisted brought wives, children, and elderly relatives seeking freedom. Camp Nelson became one of the war’s largest emancipation and refugee centers.
- Army Recruitment Center-A major site for enlisting U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) beginning in 1864.
The preserved federal park today is around 525 acres (expanding slightly as new acreage is added).
History of the Oliver Perry House (“White House”)
It’s the only remaining Civil War–era building in Camp Nelson’s core, making it historically significant, as many key decisions about supply, training, and refugee support were made there.
It is a historic 1850s home used as officers’ quarters and headquarters.
The structure helps illustrate the contrast between civilian Kentucky and the bustling military camp around it.
The house was built around 1855–1856 by Oliver Perry and his wife, Fannie Scott Perry, on land owned by Fannie’s mother, Mary Scott. It’s a two-story Greek Revival frame home.
In 1863, when Camp Nelson became a major Union Army supply, training, and recruitment center, the army took over the Perry House as headquarters. Major General George L. Hartsuff used it before his East Tennessee Campaign in August 1863, and later Captain Theron E. Hall and other quartermaster and commissary officers worked there.
During the occupation, the detached kitchen burned (1865–1866) and was replaced with a two-story addition that still stands.
The house overlooks Officers’ Spring, which supplied water for officers, and restoration uncovered graffiti from Captain Hall, offering a personal link to its wartime past. After the war, the Perrys regained the home, which stayed in the family until 1948. Jessamine County bought it in 1997 for preservation, and it later became part of the Camp Nelson National Monument under the National Park Service in 2018. Restorations included a Historic Structure Report and paint analysis to identify the original colors.
Why site was chosen
- High bluffs / river palisades:
Situated on dramatic limestone cliffs above the Kentucky River, providing natural defense. - Rolling uplands:
The main camp area rests on gently rolling plateau terrain. - Karst landscape:
Includes sinkholes, limestone outcrops, and caves typical of Kentucky’s Inner Bluegrass region. - Ravines and steep slopes:
Natural ravines helped define defensive perimeters. - Around 800–900 feet above sea level, with the cliffs dropping sharply toward the river.
- Fortifications & Earthworks-Original earthen defensive positions built along the high bluffs. Walking trails take you along:
- Rifle pits
- Artillery positions
- High-ground overlook of the Kentucky River Palisades
Visitor Center & Museum
Features exhibits, artifacts, and immersive displays covering:
- African American enlistment
- Refugee life at the camp
- Logistics, supply operations, and the camp’s vast infrastructure
- Short orientation film available.
The Home for Colored Refugees Site
One of the most historically important areas.
Here, families of Black soldiers found protection and began new lives in freedom. Exhibits and wayside signs explain:
- How the refugee community grew
- The struggles during the 1864 expulsion
- Daily life in the temporary housing “shanty towns”
Graveyard No. 1 (Military Cemetery)
Resting place for Union soldiers and refugees who died at the camp.
Quiet, reflective space with interpretive markers explaining the medical operations and losses during winter 1864.
Quartermaster Depot Area
Though buildings are gone, signs show where the huge warehouses, stables, and shops once stood.
This area was the heart of:
- Wagon and mule operations
- Distribution of clothing, equipment, and weapons
- Transportation logistics into Tennessee
Archer House Ruins and Hospital Sites
These areas help interpret the enormous medical complex once present:
- Infantry hospitals
- Cholera wards
- Quarantine areas
Waysides describe treatments and medical challenges of the 1860s.
Trails
Lengths and Difficulty
Depot Trail .5 miles
A loop starting at the Visitor Center. Goes through sites connected to the supply function of the camp. (Warehouse, prison, bakery, merchants row)
Fort Trail .5 miles
Fort Jackson, reconstructed barracks and meadow trail with views of infantry entrenchments.
Fort Putnam Loop .3 miles
Short loop behind the Visitor Center.
Long Fort Trail 1.3 miles
East of Fort Putnam, trail goes through open fields to other earthworks. (Fort Pope, Fort Taylor, Fort McKee) Also engineers' quarters, corrals, and stables.
Fort Jones/Overlook Trail 1.2 miles
Starts via Long Fort Trail. Leads to Fort Jones and two stone forest, plus a lookout over Hickman Creek Valley.
There are over 4 miles of trails, generally ranging from easy to moderate. Slopes are gentle, especially on Depot Trail, though some sections like Fort Trail and Long Fort Trail run through open fields with little shade. Since parts of the area are fragile earthen fortifications, walking or climbing on them is prohibited. The Fort Jones / Overlook Trail winds through shaded woods, making it more comfortable in hot weather, though reaching its trailhead requires some exposed walking. The park is open from dawn to dusk for foot traffic, and leashed pets are welcome. Start at the Visitor Center — from there, you can access most of the trails, and there are interpretive signs to learn about the history.
Conclusion
Camp Nelson Park is a fantastic place to spend the day. There is plenty of history to discover. I never thought too much about logistics for the Civil War. I never knew about the recruiting U.S. Colored Troops (USCT). Or that thousands of enslaved men enlisted and their families came seeking freedom and formed informal refugee communities at Camp Nelson. It is well worth the trip and a beautiful place to hike.
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