On September 12, Stones River National Battlefield kicked off a year of centennial celebrations. The park hosted a living history demonstration, The Confederates Fight for Murfreesboro, featuring drills and tactics used by the Confederate Army of Tennessee's artillery, cavalry, and infantry branches. During each demonstration, a park ranger shared a personal story of an individual soldier in gray. 

To boost visitor awareness, Eastern National developed a commemorative merchandise line featuring the park's centennial logo, as the marketing team assisted with signage and social media efforts. An updated edition of the Eastern National publication, National Park Civil War Series: The Battle of Stones River will also be in stock prior to the March 2027 anniversary.

About Stones River National Battlefield NPS Designation

I see that you have put through, successfully, your bill to establish a National Park on the Murfreesboro battlefield and I assure you that you have the congratulations and the thanks of every citizen of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. 

—Richard Beard, Veteran of the 7th Tennessee, CSA, in a letter to Congressman Ewin L. Davis 

In the late 19th century, the United States public increasingly petitioned to preserve Civil War battlefields. In 1895, Congressman James D. Richardson introduced the first bill to protect the battlefield at Stones River. Though it failed, it inspired Union and Confederate veterans, along with local professionals, to form the Stones River National Battlefield and Memorial Association in 1896. This group spent decades mapping combat lines, placing markers, and securing the land holdings. 

Boosted by post-WWI automobile tourism, President Calvin Coolidge officially established Stones River National Military Park on March 3, 1927. While a preservation triumph, the park boundaries displaced the "Cemetery Community"—an African American neighborhood excluded from the planning process. The park joined the National Park Service in 1933 and was renamed a National Battlefield in 1960.