Fort Myer (Arlington County, Virginia)
Arlington County · Virginia · American Civil War
History & Significance
The land that became Fort Myer was originally part of the Arlington estate owned by Mary Anna Custis Lee, wife of Robert E. Lee, who left the property in 1861 when Virginia seceded. The federal government confiscated the estate for military purposes and, following the Union Army's defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, constructed a defensive lunette in August 1861.
Initially named Fort Cass, this lunette had a 288-yard perimeter and emplacements for 12 guns. A second and stronger fortification, Fort Whipple, was built in spring 1863 and named after Brevet Major General Amiel Weeks Whipple, who died of Civil War wounds in May 1863.
Fort Whipple was considered one of the strongest fortifications defending Washington, with a perimeter of 658 yards and space for 43 guns. On February 4, 1881, the Army post was renamed Fort Myer in honor of Brigadier General Albert J. Myer, who had commanded the Signal School of Instruction established there in 1869 until his death in August 1880.
Since then, the post served as a Signal Corps installation, cavalry showcase, and since the 1940s, home to elite ceremonial units including the Army Band and the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. Fort Myer was the site of the first powered aircraft flight at a military installation, with exhibition flights by Orville Wright in 1908. In 2005, it became the first Joint Base when merged with Henderson Hall Marine Corps installation.
Key Facts
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Myer
- https://armyhistory.org/fort-myer-virginia/
- https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/000-0004/
- https://www.cultural-landscapes.org/fort-myer
- https://home.army.mil/jbmhh/index.php/about/history