Fort Stevens

Fort Stevens, at 6603 Georgia Avenue NW in the Brightwood neighborhood of Washington, D.C., is the best-preserved remnant of the ring of forts that defended the capital during the Civil War and the site of the only battle fought in the District. The earthen fort was built in 1861 as Fort Massachusetts and renamed in 1862 for Brigadier General Isaac Ingalls Stevens, who was killed at Chantilly. On July 11 and 12, 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early's force of about 14,000 men reached the northern outskirts of the city after a campaign through the Shenandoah Valley and Maryland, and tested the defenses. Union reinforcements arrived from the Army of the Potomac, and the defenders beat back skirmishers. President Abraham Lincoln came to the fort to watch the fighting and, according to accounts, stood on the parapet and drew enemy fire, and tradition holds that a young officer, possibly Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., told him to get down. Early withdrew on the night of July 12, and the threat to the capital ended. Around 900 casualties were recorded on both sides, with Union dead buried at nearby Battleground National Cemetery, one of the smallest national cemeteries. The fort was dismantled after the war, and the site was acquired by the federal government in the 1920s, and a partial reconstruction was carried out by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. The National Park Service now manages it as part of Rock Creek Park and the Civil War Defenses of Washington. Visitors see reconstructed earthen parapets, a gun platform with cannon replicas, and interpretive signs, along with a memorial to the soldiers who died in the battle. The interpretation is self-guided, with signage telling the story of the battle chronologically, and rangers lead seasonal programs. The site is free and open during daylight hours, and a visit takes about 30 to 45 minutes. Battleground National Cemetery sits across the road.