Fort Scott (Arlington County, Virginia)
Arlington County · Virginia · American Civil War
History & Significance
Fort Scott served as one of 33 major forts in the Arlington Line, a protective ring established after Union occupation of Arlington Heights in May 1861. The fort had a perimeter of 313 yards and emplacements for eight guns.
Armament included an 8-inch howitzer, five 24-pounder guns, one 20-pounder Parrott rifle, one 6-pounder gun, and two 10-inch mortars, with two magazines, a guard house, and a bombproof barracks enclosed within the fort. Troops stationed at the fort included the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery, 5th New York Heavy Artillery, 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, 136th Ohio Infantry, and 142nd and 166th Ohio National Guard.
Construction of the Alexandria defenses to the west subsequently reduced the fort's importance, and it was abandoned in 1865 at the end of the war. Only a small remnant of earthworks and a ditch remains visible in the park, with a historical marker erected in 1965 by Arlington County at the entrance.
Key Facts
Map
View larger map ↗ · © OpenStreetMap contributors
🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Civil War-era lunette fortification guarding Washington, D.C.'s defenses
- Historical marker explaining the fort's role in 1861 Union strategy
- Remnants of earthwork fortifications visible in the park setting
- Part of the larger ring of 33 fortifications along Virginia's Potomac shoreline
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Scott_(Arlington,_Virginia)
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=5257
- https://grokipedia.com/page/fort_scott_arlington_virginia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_War_Defenses_of_Washington
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/washingtons-civil-war-defenses-and-battle-fort-stevens
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_Line
- https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments/Parks-Recreation/Parks-Events/2024/Nature-and-History/Fort-Scott-Park-Walking-Tour-1