| Rock Creek Park | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
  | |
| Location | District of Columbia, USA |
| Nearest city | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°57′45.60″N 77°3′2.40″W / 38.962667°N 77.050667°WCoordinates: 38°57′45.60″N 77°3′2.40″W / 38.962667°N 77.050667°W |
| Area | 2,820.34 acres (11.41 km2) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
Fort DeRussy was an American Civil War-era fortification constructed in 1861 on a hilltop along the west bank of Rock Creek within Washington, D.C., as part of the defenses of the national capital. The fort provided support during the nearby Battle of Fort Stevens (July 11–12, 1864), contributing a large amount of cannon fire in the course of that battle; the fort's 100-pounder Parrott rifle was particularly effective then. Today, the grounds of the fort are administered by the U.S. National Park Service as part of Rock Creek Park in the northern portion of the District of Columbia.[1]
The site of the fort is currently overgrown
The fort's parapet and dry moat are in a good state of preservation, remnants of powder magazines are still visible, and lines of infantry trenches that protected the fort are still present near the fort.[1]
The site, now heavily wooded, is easily reached by a trail from the west bank of the creek north of Military Road, so-called because it connected the ring of defensive installations around the capital.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Civil War Defences of Washington: Fort DeRussy". U.S. National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/cwdw/historyculture/fort-derussy.htm. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
The original article can be found at Fort DeRussy (Washington, D.C.) and the edit history here.