Fort Hunt Park
Encyclopedia
Fort Hunt Park is a public park located in Fort Hunt, Fairfax County, Virginia
. It is administered by the National Park Service
as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway
. The park preserves the remains of the eponymous Fort Hunt, portions of which date to the time of the Spanish-American War
. Remains of several of the fort's original batteries, including Battery Mount Vernon, Battery Porter, Battery Robinson, and Battery Sater, have been preserved, and may still be visited today. The structures have been stabilized enough that visitors are able to climb on them without difficulty. Besides the batteries, the battery commander's station still stands; in addition, a flagpole has been erected as a memorial to the intelligence officers who served at the fort during World War II
.
Fort Hunt Park is open from dawn until dusk, year-round; access is from the George Washington Memorial Parkway or from Fort Hunt Road.
Fort Hunt is located along the Potomac River
just 11 miles south of Washington, D. C. Its proximity to the Nation's capital dramatically affected the land use history. What occurred on this site frequently mirrored the political and social history of the United States. The site began its existence as a portion of George Washington
's River Farm
; though it passed out of Washington's family's hands around the turn of the nineteenth century, it remained farmland until not long after the American Civil War
. A fort was constructed on the site as part of a plan, developed in the 1880s, to expand and strengthen fortifications around the city of Washington. Fort Hunt was planned to complement Fort Washington
, located just across the Potomac River in Maryland
, and was completed in time for the Spanish-American War, though it did not see action in that conflict. During the 1930s the site was converted into a Civilian Conservation Corps
camp, and during World War II it was the setting for top secret World War II military intelligence operations (known as "P.O. Box 1142"
); at one time the United States Army
ran a school of finance there, but this did not last long. Today the park is a popular picnic and jogging area. A playground and sports facilities are also available, and the United States Park Police
man a substation at the park, as well as stables for their police horses.
Lieutenant Commander Werner Henke
, the highest-ranking German officer to be shot while in American captivity during World War II, was killed while attempting an escape from Fort Hunt in 1944. In 1980, the remaining structures at the site were added to the National Register of Historic Places
as the Fort Hunt Historic District.
The surrounding community
of Fort Hunt, Virginia
takes its name from the original fort.
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
. It is administered by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
. The park preserves the remains of the eponymous Fort Hunt, portions of which date to the time of the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. Remains of several of the fort's original batteries, including Battery Mount Vernon, Battery Porter, Battery Robinson, and Battery Sater, have been preserved, and may still be visited today. The structures have been stabilized enough that visitors are able to climb on them without difficulty. Besides the batteries, the battery commander's station still stands; in addition, a flagpole has been erected as a memorial to the intelligence officers who served at the fort during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Fort Hunt Park is open from dawn until dusk, year-round; access is from the George Washington Memorial Parkway or from Fort Hunt Road.
History
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
just 11 miles south of Washington, D. C. Its proximity to the Nation's capital dramatically affected the land use history. What occurred on this site frequently mirrored the political and social history of the United States. The site began its existence as a portion of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's River Farm
River Farm
River Farm is an historic landscape with gardens located at 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, Virginia. It was owned by George Washington from 1760 until his death in 1799, and is now the American Horticultural Society headquarters...
; though it passed out of Washington's family's hands around the turn of the nineteenth century, it remained farmland until not long after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. A fort was constructed on the site as part of a plan, developed in the 1880s, to expand and strengthen fortifications around the city of Washington. Fort Hunt was planned to complement Fort Washington
Fort Washington Park
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...
, located just across the Potomac River in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and was completed in time for the Spanish-American War, though it did not see action in that conflict. During the 1930s the site was converted into a Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
camp, and during World War II it was the setting for top secret World War II military intelligence operations (known as "P.O. Box 1142"
P. O. Box 1142
P.O. Box 1142 was a secret American military intelligence facility that operated during World War II. The American Military Intelligence Service had two special wings whose core duty was to interview the Prisoners of War , known as MIS -X and MIS -Y. They were known by their codename, the mailing...
); at one time the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
ran a school of finance there, but this did not last long. Today the park is a popular picnic and jogging area. A playground and sports facilities are also available, and the United States Park Police
United States Park Police
The United States Park Police is one of the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. It functions as a full service law enforcement agency with responsibilities and jurisdiction in those National Park Service areas primarily located in the Washington, D.C., San...
man a substation at the park, as well as stables for their police horses.
Lieutenant Commander Werner Henke
Werner Henke
Lieutenant Commander Werner Henke born in Thorn in Germany was the commander of during the Second Battle of the Atlantic of World War II. U-515 was sunk by the American task group 22.3, commanded by Daniel V...
, the highest-ranking German officer to be shot while in American captivity during World War II, was killed while attempting an escape from Fort Hunt in 1944. In 1980, the remaining structures at the site were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the Fort Hunt Historic District.
The surrounding community
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
of Fort Hunt, Virginia
Fort Hunt, Virginia
Fort Hunt is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. . It is one of the wealthiest places in the United States with a median household income surpassing that of Greenwich, Connecticut and Malibu, California, and is most famous for the site of former P.O...
takes its name from the original fort.
External links
- Fort Hunt Park at the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
website