Capital Defense

During the 19th century, the greatest threat to Washington, DC came by water, and this narrow section of the Potomac River was an ideal location for coastal defense. Fort Warburton was built on the Maryland side in 1808 as tensions escalated between the United States and England. During the War of 1812, as British troops marched overland into Washington, the fort was destroyed by its own garrison to prevent capture. This incident led to the court martial of Captain Samuel Dyson and to the construction in 1824 of the more substantial Fort Washington across the river. In 1861, Fort Washington was the only fortification defending the capital at the outset of the Civil War, and sixty-eight additional earthen forts were quickly built around the city to defend the federal city. Although no river attack occurred during the Civil War, the area remained important for coastal defense. Just prior to the Spanish-American War in 1898, the Virginia shore began to be fortified with cannons to complement those at Fort Washington. The area was named Fort Hunt, and the military accelerated construction and rehabilitation of both forts with modern artillery and a submerged minefield between them. By the 1930s, the forts were considered obsolete, closed, and given to the National Park Service. During World War II, however, Fort Hunt was reactivated as a top secret military intelligence camp and POW interrogation center. Today, both forts stand as reminders of the nation's military history.

Fort Hunt, Virginia · United States