Fort Reno occupied the highest natural point in Washington, D.C., and became the largest fort in the capital’s Civil War defensive ring. Begun in August 1861 and renamed in 1863 for Major General Jesse Lee Reno, it had extensive gun positions, a signal tower, and a garrison of about 3,000 men at its peak. Its most important wartime role came in July 1864, when lookouts there detected Jubal A. Early’s approaching Confederate forces as Washington faced attack. Decommissioned in 1866, the site later became the community of Reno and today is significant both for its role in defending Washington and for its layered African American neighborhood history.

Somerset, Maryland · USA