| What makes it historical? |
Before becoming the park that it is today, this fort went through four different stages. From 1809 until 1814, it defended against the British as Fort Warburton, but a combination of the British and its own garrison blew it up during the War of 1812! Rebuilt and renamed Fort Washington in 1814, it continued to defend the nation’s capital during the Mexican-American and Civil Wars!
In 1890, the fort got a major overhaul thanks to a treasury surplus. Secretary of War, William C. Endicott, presided over the reinforcement of Fort Washington with steel and concrete, just in time for the Spanish-American War and World War I! Between World Wars, the fort became largely ceremonial and served as an Adjutant Training Facility during the Second World War, finally becoming a national park site in 1946! |
