Pointless Prize #CivilWarForts
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During the American Civil War (1861-1865) Washington was surrounded by a chain of fortifications. Mostly in DC and northern Virginia, I think maybe a couple in Maryland.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to ride to as many of them as possible, take a photo of your bike there, and post the hashtag #civilwarforts on Strava.
Note – there does NOT have to be remains of a fort there. A plaque will do. There is at least one fort location where there is no plaque, and that is fine (you can find a list of the forts, other info, at https://www.nps.gov/cwdw/index.htm
You will get one point for each fort, but no more than one point a day.
Note, this is forts only – NOT streets named after civil war officers, or historic places that aren’t forts. Places listed on the civil war defenses website that do not have “fort” in their name (like Battery Garesche) are okay. This prize is inspired by a prize given in 2021 that was for all civil war sites, but this prize is different.
Note to those unfamiliar with ACW military tactics – the forts are all, or almost all, at the tops of hills – sometimes the tallest hill in a wide area. Have fun.
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When we were out riding in Vienna we came across a map of the area from October 25, 1862 at Freedom Hill. The map shows locations of forts and calvary and infantry pickets. One of them is Fort Ramsey at Minor’s Hill (by NW Boundary Stone 1). It is not on any of the civil war forts lists and I don’t believe there’s any historic marker. Also don’t find it on a basic Google search. It is also mentioned on the historical marker at N Manchester and Wilson Blvd. That marker also mentions a Confederate fort which would have been in Bon Air Park area (?). Could these count separately?
#civilwarforts 3/4 – Upton Hill Park, site of Ft Upton/Ft Ramsey. No commemoration of the site’s history at the actual location. Link to video including the fort in post #1137674 above
#civilwarforts 3/5 – Ft Taylor, corner of Roosevelt and Broad. Nothing remains except the name of the Park which is a narrow undeveloped strip between the Koon’s lot fence and the steep hillside down to Roosevelt in Falls church
#civilwarforts 3/8 – Minor’s Hill on N Powhatan St where both the Confederates and the Union had installations at some point at Arlington’s highest point
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