Fort Washington (Fort Washington, Prince George's County, Maryland)
Fort Washington, Prince George's County · Maryland · War of 1812, Civil War
History & Significance
Fort Washington, located near the community of Fort Washington, Maryland, was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington, D.C. Work on the original Fort Warburton commenced on April 14, 1808, and was completed on December 1, 1809. The night before the Battle of Bladensburg, General Winder ordered Captain Samuel T. Dyson, the commanding officer at Fort Warburton, to blow up the fort and retire across the river with its 57-man garrison if taken in the rear.
Built in 1808-1809 on the Maryland shore at Digges Point alongside Piscataway Creek, the fort contained a considerable arsenal of heavy ordnance. When the British bomb vessels fired preparatory shells, Dyson blew up the magazine, which contained 3,000 pounds of black powder, and abandoned the fort.
When the large masonry fortification was completed in 1824, it replaced the earlier Fort Warburton, which had been destroyed during the War of 1812. At the recommendation of the Endicott Board, Fort Washington's defenses were expanded and modernized beginning in 1891, and many of the defensive and support facilities survive in Fort Washington Park, incorporating elements from two successive eras of coastal fortifications. The Fort was turned over to the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1946 after its last military personnel departed.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Restored 19th-century coastal defense fort protecting Washington, D.C. from the Potomac
- Exhibits on War of 1812 destruction and Civil War history
- Scenic walking trails along the Potomac River with river views
- Historic gun emplacements and fortification structures
- National Park Service-managed site with recreational facilities
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Washington_Park
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/600098.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/fowa/index.htm
- https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/british-raid-up-the-potomac/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Alexandria_(Virginia)
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=4554