BGuthrie Photos: MD -- Fort Washington Park

MD -- Fort Washington Park:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. FTWASH_121223_039.JPG: Battery Decatur and Disappearing Guns: American coastal defenses were modernized from the 1890s to 1910 with the development of the Endicott System. Emphasis in military tactics shifted the masonry fortifications to more effective weapons based on rifled steel guns, improved breech-loading systems, better propellants (gunpowder), and reinforced concrete gun emplacements. Here you will see the remains of Battery Decatur, a reinforced concrete emplacement completed in 1891. It mounted two 10-inch disappearing guns similar to the Fort Monroe rifled guns shown in the photographs below. The lower rooms of the battery were for shot, shell, and powder storage with cranes and hoists that moved the heavy ammunition up to the gun platforms. Ingenious disappearing carriages used recoil energy to lower the gun out of sight of the enemy for reloading the servicing. These 10-inch guns had a firing range of approximately seven miles. The guns were aimed and fired by means of complex range finding and fire control equipment centered in the Battery Commander's Station, visible to your left. The Depression Position Finder, mounted in the tower, located the target exactly.
2. FTWASH_121223_074.JPG: Capital Guardian: The First Fort: Troubles with Britain caused Congress in 1807 to authorize an improved system of forts along the Atlantic Coast to guard harbors, rivers, and seaports. The first fort, Fort Warburton, was completed in 1809. Located near the river in front of the present fort, it was a small structure mounting 13 guns. Destruction of the First Fort: During the War of 1812, the British, determined to retaliate for the American invasion of Canada and the destruction of York, planned to attack Washington, D.C. in August 1814. A British force landed from the Patuxent River and bypassed Fort Warburton on their march to the Capital. Defeating a small American force at Blandensburg, they captured Washington, D.C. on August 24. Meanwhile, six British warships moved up the Potomac and arrived off Fort Warburton on August 27, three days after the burning of Washington. The American commander, Capt. Samuel Dyson, abandoned and destroyed the fort on their approach, allowing the British to proceed upriver and capture Alexandria.
3. FTWASH_121223_077.JPG: Capital Guardian: Fort Washington: Building the Second Fort: On September 8, 1814, only 12 days after the destruction of Fort Washington, Pierre L'Enfant was commissioned by the Government to re-establish a fortification here. Work began that October but increasing friction between L'Enfant and the Government caused suspension of the project in July 1815. Shortly thereafter, L'Enfant was replaced by Lt. Col. Walker K. Armistead. Completed in October 1824, at a cost of $426,000, this structure stood as the only permanent fortification protecting Washington through 1872. Arming the Fort: Brick platforms for artillery carriages were constructed in the 1840s and thirty 24-pounder guns were sent to the fort. With an effective range of 1901 yards, guns of this size could effectively control the river passage in front of the fort. In 1861, additional 24- and 32-pounder guns were sent to strengthen the armament of the fort.
4. FTWASH_121223_080.JPG: Capital Guardian: The Endicott System: Coastal fortifications moved into the 20th century with the development of the Endicott System. At Fort Washington, eight reinforced concrete batteries were constructed near the old fort to mount modern artillery. Many support buildings were erected including officer and enlisted quarters. In 1921, after the fort was no longer needed as a coastal defense, it housed part of the 12th U.S. Infantry Regiment. The Endicott System consisted of several types of weapons designed to repel all classes of enemy naval vessels. It worked like this at Fort Washington: * 6-inch and 10-inch disappearing rifles could reach enemy battleships and cruisers 6 to 7 miles downriver. * Searchlights were added to the system in the early 1900s to spotlight enemy vessels attacking at night. * Eight, 12-inch seacoast mortars could lob 700-pound shells almost vertically through the lightly armored decks of enemy battleships and cruisers. * Submarine mines anchored in a predetermined pattern in the river could be fired electrically from the shore. * Small caliber rapid-fire guns mounted near the river could protect the minefield from enemy destroyers and minesweepers.
5. FTWASH_121223_105.JPG: Main Gateway: Two sets of gates protected the main entrance, or sally port. During the improvements made in the 1840s, the drawbridge was added to make the approach to the gates more difficult. The drawbridge, operated by a unique system of iron counterweights and chains, was designed to close rapidly in case of land attack. The entrance was also guarded by cannon. Thirteen guns, mounted on the parapet, covered the approaches to the gateway. To protect the area next to the wall and gateway, two casemates (gun rooms) were built into the wall flanking the bridge.
6. FTWASH_121223_130.JPG: Guard Office -- Post No. 1: Guard Mount duty for a soldier lasted for 24 hours. The duty time was divided into 3 squads with one noncommissioned officer in charge. Each squad served on a rotation of 2 hours on sentinel duty and 4 hours off. During their 4 hours off, they had to remain in this room fully clothed with all accoutrements and weapons. The guards waiting in this room were not allowed to go to sleep, but they were allowed to rest, read, write letters or play checkers. If they were caught playing cards and gambling, they would end up in the cell next door. The Guard Mount also served as the fire watch or fire company for the garrison. Everyone who entered through the main gate had to report to the Officer of the Guard before entering the fort. Post No. 1 was in front of the Guard Office and had responsibility for the prisoners in the Guard Room.
7. FTWASH_121223_158.JPG: The Northwest Demi-Bastion: A demi-bastion is a section of the fort that projects beyond the main wall and provides concentrated defensive fire. The bastion design includes two levels of artillery. Guns were to be mounted on the parapet above and in the casemates you see below at the base of the wall. When the fort was armed in the 1840s, however, only the guns on the upper, or barbette, level were installed. The casemates saw other uses. Company laundresses lived in two of them with their soldier husbands until better quarters were built outside the fort in 1867. Other casemates served as storerooms and the sutler, or post trader, had a shop in one during the early 1860s.
8. FTWASH_121223_184.JPG: Caponiere: During the 1840s improvements were made to this wall, defensively the weakest part of the fort. The parapet was raised and an outerwork, called a caponiere, was added. The protected passageway on your left will lead you to the outerwork that mounted four howitzers in the chamber ahead and two on the upper level. These weapons are no longer here but you will see the tracks they were mounted on. These traverse rails made it easy to position the howitzers for firing. The small room at the end of the outerwork served as a "sink," or latrine, for the troops. These 24-pounder howitzers were short range weapons used to protect the immediate area around the fort against land attack.
9. FTWASH_121223_215.JPG: The Cisterns A reliable supply of drinking water for the garrison was a priority at Fort Washington. Three wells dug early in the fort's construction proved inadequate. By 1823, four cisterns were installed to store rainwater. Located underground at each end of the barracks and officers' quarters, these cisterns had a total capacity of 19,000 gallons. Rainwater from the gutters and downspouts of the buildings flowed through a filter box into the cisterns. The water could then be removed by a handpump.
10. FTWASH_121223_225.JPG: Counterscarp Battery Along the outer wall of the ditch you see the counterscarp battery, named for its location on the "counterscarp," or outer wall, of the dry ditch. This structure sheltered troops who could direct musketry toward the river or into the ditch itself. The reverse fire tactic enhanced the protection of this area of the wall.
11. FTWASH_121223_261.JPG: Minefields Minefields were an important part of the Endicott System of defense at the turn of the century. You are standing on the site that controlled the minefield operation. Groups of underwater mines anchored in the river downstream from the fort could be fired electrically from here when enemy ships passed nearby. The guns of Batteries White (visible below to your right), Many, and Smith protected the minefield from enemy minesweepers and destroyers.
12. FTWASH_121223_272.JPG: Shot and Shell Fort Washington's solid masonry walls offered good protection against shot from smoothbore cannon of the early 19th century. When rifled artillery was introduced in the late 1850s and used during the Civil War, effectiveness of masonry structures decreased. The new weapons fired projectiles that fit the bore tightly and were given a stabilizing spin by the grooves in the barrel. These improvements gave the rifled guns a range, accuracy, and hitting power nearly three times greater than the smoothbore cannon of the early 19th century.
13. FTWASH_121223_276.JPG: Water Battery: Construction of this inverted V-shaped outerwork began in 1814. Traces of its shape are visible today. Surrounded by a dry ditch, the Water Battery mounted 24-pounder guns that provided an additional level of firepower to the fort. The Water Battery underwent two major changes after 1872. The gatehouse and other buildings were removed and construction of earthworks to surround the fort began. Four platforms for 15-inch Rodman guns and three magazines were completed before the government interest and funding waned. The Endicott System in the 1890s brought the construction of Battery White, the concrete structure that is visible now. Ricochet Firing: Guns in the Water Battery could ricochet, or bounce, shot across the river surface and hit a ship near the waterline causing severe hull damage. The Water Battery held many structures to support the Fort's operation: (1) Magazine -- stored ammunition. (2) Storehouse -- housed gun carriages in peacetime. (3) Stables -- housed workhorses. (4) Saddlers shop -- where leather equipment was repaired. (5) Shot furnace -- a furnace for heating solid cannonballs. A red hot shot lodged in a ship's timbers could start a disastrous fire. (6) Blacksmith shop -- where metal items were repaired and manufactured. (7) Gatehouse -- included two guard rooms and a bridge over the ditch.
14. FTWASH_121223_459.JPG: Very old graffiti
15. FTWASH_121223_522.JPG: New Guns for an Old Fort: Remnants of former gun emplacements are the reminders of the three generations of armaments that occupied this V-shaped Water Battery. Each generation reflects the latest technologies and precision in the manufacture of armaments. 1830 -- The first guns to be positioned were considered adequate to sink this wooden-hulled ships of a passing naval flotilla. 1872-1898 -- The fort was redesigned after the Civil War and made larger, more powerful guns were installed. New technology in casting iron cannon made it possible to produce powerful 15-inch Rodman Cannon capable of hurling a 434-pount 15-inch explosive sphere three miles. These guns were installed in 1896. 1898-1920 -- A pair of rapid-fire 4-inch guns of the Endicott period were placed on top of the thick concrete emplacement known as Battery White. The principal role of these two smaller guns was to protect the minefield in the river channel. These guns were part of a large and elaborate 341-acre fort system designed to sink heavily armored naval ships.
16. FTWASH_121223_538.JPG: The Water Battery: Strategically placed, this permanent section of the fort was the lowest level of the three tiers of guns. The Water Battery was designed to deliver a "water-skipping" cannonade directed at the hulls of enemy ships. The simple V-shaped design has undergone few changes from the original concept. In the 100 years of active duty, new parapets and gun mounts have been added. Still visible are the deep masonry ditches and powder magazines from the 1820 construction.
17. FTWASH_121223_575.JPG: Note the moon in the background
18. FTWASH_121223_658.JPG: The Mortar Battery Named Battery Meigs, these two pits contained eight large 12-inch mortars. Each huge mortar was capable of hurling a 700-pound projectile in a high arc. The simultaneous firing of all eight would insure a clustered group of shells falling on the decks of an attacking battleship. The rate of fire of these weapons depended upon the speed and skill of the 12 men needed to serve each mortar. The practiced teamwork of 96 men rushing to load, aim, fire, and reload these eight heavy weapons reflected the log hours devoted to gun drills. Men of the 17th and 37th Company Coast Artillery Corps, served this battery from 1900 to 1913.
Wikipedia Description: Fort Washington Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fort Washington, located near the community of Fort Washington, Maryland, USA, was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington D.C. The original fort, overlooking the Potomac River, was completed in 1809, and was named Fort Warburton. During the War of 1812, the fort was destroyed by its own garrison during a British advance. The current historic fort — maintained by the National Park Service — was initially constructed in 1824. It is a stone structure with a good cannon shot down the Potomac River. The fort was extensively remodeled in the 1840s and 1890s. The Fort was turned over to the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1946 after its last military personnel departed.

The expansive grounds of the present Fort Washington Park, with its extensive hiking/bicycle paths and river view, are a scenic venue for picnicking, fishing, and outdoor recreation. Historical re-enactments are held periodically at the Fort, and there is a small museum. In 2006, repairs were done to shore up the crumbling outer wall, in preparation for the 200th anniversary.

The Fort Washington Light, located below the fort, was established in 1857. The current tower, standing 28 feet tall, was constructed in 1882.

History

1808-1871

Construction on first Fort Washington, then called Fort Warburton, was completed on December 1, 1809. In August 1814, with British forces in Washington (having marched overland) and British ships heading up the Potomac, the fort was destroyed by its own garrison to prevent it from being captured and occupied by the British.

Twelve days after the destruction of the fort, James Monroe, the acting Secretary of War, hired Major Pierre L’Enfant to construct new defenses. In November 1814, Monroe questioned L'Enfant actions, asking for less spending. On July 14, 1815, work was halted. Two months later, L'Enfant was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Walker K. Armistead of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The fort was completed on October 2, 1824, at a total cost of $426,000, excluding armament, which had not yet been installed.

Extensive remodeling was performed in the 1840s and the first guns were mounted in 1846. The masonry fort was occupied by soldiers from the First, Third and Fourth U.S. Artillery during its early history. Except for a few guns at the Washington Arsenal, Fort Washington was the only defense for the nation’s capital until the Civil War when a circle of temporary forts was built around the city. Battery Rogers and Fort Foote were the only seacoast forts in the system and armed with large Rodman and Parrott cannons. Fort Washington was garrisoned as the outer defense for the city. Companies of the First and Fourth Artillery as well as numerous state artillery units passed through the post during the war.

1872 to 1916

In 1872 the garrison was removed and additional property purchased to construct a new defense system. Between 1873 and 1875, four 15-inch Rodman guns and a magazine were partially constructed. In 1875, funds for the project was withdrawn and the post was abandoned until 1891.

In 1886, a new defense system, consisting of rifled steel guns in concrete emplacements was authorized, and work began at Fort Washington in 1891. The next year ground was broken for Battery B, later named Battery Decatur, and the guns were mounted in 1896. Eventually eight concrete batteries at Fort Washington and four at Fort Hunt made up the Potomac Defense Command. In the years prior to World War I, Fort Washington was downgraded to harbor defense and the large guns removed.

1917 to 1940

During World War I, the post was used as a staging area for troops being sent to France. The 8th Provisional Artillery Battalion was organized at the post and sent to France where they became the 53rd Railroad Artillery Regiment. After the war the 3rd Battalion 12th Infantry moved in and became the ceremonial unit for the Military District of Washington.

In 1939 the post was abandoned and turned over to the U.S. Department of the Interior; the plan was use it as a terminal point for a bridge across the Potomac River and a parkway to be built along the shore. A barracks for the Civilian Conservation Corps was built that year on the post.

1941 to present

When the United States entered World War II in late 1941, Fort Washington was returned to the army and became the home of the U.S. Army Adjutant General’s School. After the war ended, in 1945, the Veterans Administration managed the post hospital and other government agencies occupied some of the buildings. In 1946 the fort was returned to the Department of the Interior. Many of the buildings built between the two world wars were removed. Since 1946, the post has been a park, now run by the National Park Service.
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