The Burning of Atlanta: What Really Happened and Where You Can Still See Its Legacy Today

If you live in Atlanta or you’re visiting the city, you’ll hear about the “Burning of Atlanta” sooner or later. It shows up in school history lessons, tours, movies, and even neighborhood names. But what actually happened, where did it happen, and what can you still see in Atlanta today?

This guide breaks it down clearly, from the Civil War events themselves to the places around the city where you can still trace that history.

What People Mean by “The Burning of Atlanta”

When Atlantans say “The Burning of Atlanta,” they’re almost always referring to a key moment near the end of the Civil War in 1864, when large sections of the city were destroyed by fire as Union forces moved through and Confederate forces withdrew.

Two major phases matter:

1. Fires set as Confederate forces evacuated Atlanta in early September 1864
2. Fires ordered by Union General William T. Sherman in November 1864 as his army began the famous “March to the Sea” from Atlanta to Savannah

Together, these moments reshaped Atlanta physically and symbolically. The city that exists today was largely rebuilt from the ashes, which is why Atlanta’s symbol is the phoenix.

Why Atlanta Was Burned: Local Context

Atlanta wasn’t always a big, sprawling metro area. In 1864, it was a strategic railroad and industrial hub:

• Multiple rail lines met in what’s now Downtown Atlanta
• Warehouses, depots, and factories supported the Confederate war effort
• The city served as a transportation and supply center more than a political capital

From a military perspective, whoever controlled Atlanta controlled a major supply network. That’s why the Atlanta Campaign and eventual destruction of the city were so critical.

Timeline: From Capture to Burning

1. Siege and Capture of Atlanta (Summer – September 2, 1864)

Union forces advanced from the northwest through what are now:

• Cobb County and the Kennesaw area
• East Point
• Decatur

Multiple battles were fought around today’s metro region, including:

• Battle of Peachtree Creek (north of current Midtown/Buckhead)
• Battle of Atlanta (in and around modern East Atlanta and Kirkwood)
• Battle of Ezra Church (near today’s Mozley Park area)

After weeks of fighting and shelling, Confederate forces under General John Bell Hood evacuated Atlanta on the night of September 1–2, 1864.

2. Fires During Confederate Evacuation (September 1864)

As they pulled out, Confederate troops destroyed their own military stores—especially ammunition and supplies—to keep them out of Union hands. That destruction caused:

• Large explosions at rail depots and warehouses
• Fires that spread through nearby areas

These weren’t meant to destroy the whole city, but they did significant localized damage, particularly around the rail yards and industrial districts near what’s now downtown.

3. Sherman’s Occupation of Atlanta (September – November 1864)

Union troops entered Atlanta on September 2, 1864. Through the fall:

• The city became a military headquarters and logistics base
• Many civilians were ordered to leave so the city could be used purely for military purposes
• Trenches, fortifications, and encampments spread around what is now the inner I-285 area and beyond

During this time, Atlanta was under Union control but not yet burned down entirely.

4. Sherman’s “March to the Sea” and the Burning (Mid-November 1864)

Before leaving Atlanta to march toward Savannah, Sherman ordered much of the city’s military infrastructure destroyed. This included:

• Railroads and depots
• Factories, warehouses, and arsenals
• Other facilities that could support Confederate forces if they re-entered the city

As those targets burned, the fires spread beyond the strict military sites, destroying a large part of the built-up city—especially in and around downtown and the rail corridors.

This phase is what most people picture when they think of “The Burning of Atlanta”.

How Much of Atlanta Was Destroyed?

Precise numbers vary by source, but from a local perspective, the key takeaways are:

• Most of the downtown/railroad-centered core of 1864 Atlanta was heavily damaged or destroyed.
• Residential areas farther out (what are now many of the in-town neighborhoods) saw less complete destruction, though some burned or were looted.
• Very few pre-1864 buildings remain within the central city today.

For modern Atlantans, this explains why:

• The city doesn’t have as many 19th-century buildings as some older East Coast cities.
• So much of Atlanta’s identity is built around rebirth and reinvention—literally rebuilding from fire.

Where You Can See the Burning of Atlanta in Today’s City

You won’t find charred ruins downtown, but there are markers, parks, and neighborhoods that preserve the story.

1. Downtown & Five Points: The Rail Heart of the City

Then:
The area around Five Points (near the intersection of Peachtree St, Marietta St, and Edgewood Ave) was the railroad center where much of the burning focused—depots, roundhouses, and storage yards.

Now:
You can still sense the old layout:

• Five Points MARTA Station roughly follows the old rail convergence
• Street patterns hint at the former tracks and depots

While you won’t see original Civil War-era buildings here, this area was ground zero for the most destructive fires tied to both the Confederate evacuation and Sherman’s departure.

2. Grant Park & Oakland Cemetery

Oakland Cemetery
248 Oakland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Oakland Cemetery is one of the few places where the era of the burning still feels close:

• Established before the Civil War, it holds the graves of:
  • Confederate soldiers
  • Union soldiers (in a separate section)
  • Civilians from the period
• Interpretive signs and monuments explain the cemetery’s role during and after the war.

While Oakland itself wasn’t burned entirely, it sits in one of the older parts of the city that survived and then witnessed the rebuilding.

3. Battle of Atlanta Sites in East Atlanta & Kirkwood

Many of the major battles leading up to the burning took place east and southeast of today’s downtown. You can still visit areas that interpret this history:

📍 Walker Park / East Atlanta area

Near Metropolitan Ave SE and Glenwood Ave SE

• Part of the Battle of Atlanta was fought around what is now East Atlanta Village and the surrounding neighborhoods.
• You’ll find historical markers along major streets explaining troop positions and movements.

📍 Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama (relocated)

The Cyclorama painting, originally created to depict the Battle of Atlanta, is a massive 360-degree work that visually connects to the events leading up to the burning. It is now housed at:

Atlanta History Center
130 West Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305

While the painting focuses on the battle, not the burning itself, it’s one of the best visual explanations of why Atlanta fell—and therefore why it was later burned.

4. Atlanta History Center: Best Single Stop for Context

If you want a clear, local explanation of the Burning of Atlanta, the Atlanta History Center is a central resource:

Atlanta History Center
130 West Paces Ferry Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 814-4000

What makes it useful:

• Exhibits on the Civil War and Atlanta’s role
• Context on the Atlanta Campaign, occupation, and destruction
• The Cyclorama panorama (as mentioned above)
• Artifacts and maps that show what burned, when, and why

For locals, this is one of the easiest ways to understand how the burning connects to modern neighborhoods and landmarks.

5. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

While not in the city proper, Kennesaw Mountain (just northwest of Atlanta) provides context for the campaign that led to the burning:

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr
Kennesaw, GA 30152

Here you can:

• See preserved battlefield terrain
• Visit a visitor center with exhibits on Sherman’s route toward Atlanta
• Understand how the fall of Atlanta—and later its burning—fit into a bigger military campaign

Many Atlantans pair a visit here with an in-town trip to the Atlanta History Center or Oakland Cemetery to see the full story.

The Phoenix and Atlanta’s Identity After the Fire

The Burning of Atlanta isn’t just a historical episode—it directly shaped how the city sees itself today.

Atlanta as the “Phoenix City”

You’ll notice the phoenix symbol used by:

• The City of Atlanta seal
• Public art, monuments, and some local logos

The phoenix rising from the ashes represents:

• Destruction in 1864
• Rapid rebuilding during Reconstruction
• The city’s later role as a “New South” economic center

Many Atlantans talk about the burning as the start of a long pattern: the city repeatedly reinvents itself after setbacks, whether those are wars, economic downturns, or social upheavals.

Common Questions Atlantans Have About the Burning

Did Sherman burn all of Atlanta?

No. Large sections of military and industrial areas were intentionally destroyed, and fire spread beyond that, but:

• Some residential areas and structures survived
• Outlying communities (what are now suburban areas) were affected to varying degrees but not totally leveled

Atlanta’s biggest losses were concentrated near the railroad core and commercial district.

Are there any buildings in Atlanta that survived the burning?

Very few pre-1864 buildings remain within the central city. However, some historically significant structures and sites from the general era or shortly after the war still stand. When exploring:

• Look for state markers and local plaques describing whether a site survived or was rebuilt.
• Oakland Cemetery and some older churches give the best sense of the mid-19th-century city.

Is “Gone with the Wind” historically accurate about the burning?

The movie “Gone with the Wind” strongly shaped popular images of the Burning of Atlanta, but:

• It dramatizes and compresses events for storytelling
• It focuses on certain perspectives while omitting others, especially those of enslaved and freed Black Atlantans
• It is not a reliable guide to exact events or scale

For a grounded understanding, local museums and interpretive sites in Atlanta provide more balanced and detailed explanations.

Quick Reference: Key Burning of Atlanta Spots to Visit

Tips for Exploring This History as an Atlantan or Visitor

• Start with a museum or center. A visit to the Atlanta History Center or Kennesaw Mountain will make in-town markers and cemeteries much easier to interpret.
• Look for state and neighborhood markers. Many are posted along Moreland Ave, Glenwood Ave, Ponce de Leon Ave, and Peachtree St explaining Civil War actions.
• Pair history with neighborhoods. Areas like Grant Park, East Atlanta, Kirkwood, and Inman Park sit on or near sites that were directly affected by the fighting and burning or by the city’s rebuilding afterward.
• Remember modern Atlanta is mostly a rebuilt city. What you see downtown and through Midtown is largely the result of post-1864 development, then further transformations in the 20th century.

Understanding the Burning of Atlanta helps make sense of why the city looks and feels the way it does today—less like a preserved 1800s town and more like a place that’s been reinvented multiple times since 1864, beginning with the fires that nearly erased it.