The wooden barracks were erected at Third and Oak streets on the southern outskirts of Louisville about a mile from Beargrass Creek, and were designed to house new volunteers for the Union Army.
Planning began in early 1864, and the barracks were constructed quickly, with several wooden frame, shingled buildings arranged in a square.
As with many Civil War posts located near marshy ground, disease was a constant threat, especially typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and rheumatism.
[3] Most significant activity ceased after June 1866, although the army kept the barracks open for several years to recruit and train Buffalo Soldiers and other black troops.
During World War I, another military base south of Louisville was known as Camp Taylor; it was a major training facility for white troops as well.