There are currently 423 sites that comprise the National Park System. A mere 63 of those are designated as national parks and receive the lion’s share of attention, funding, and visitors. Books have been written about each, and there’s no shortage of information about them online. But what about the other 360 sites?

Known by a surprising number of designations – from national monument to national battlefield to national lakeshore – the vast majority of the National Park Service’s protected areas aren’t actually “national parks.”

The Roarbots’ series of NPS Adventures takes a big-picture view of one of these sites and highlights some of the best it has to offer. This almost always includes activities and suggestions we can recommend from personal experience. And pictures. There are lots and lots of pictures. Glad to have you aboard!

Welcome to Fort Washington Park!

Stats

• Fort Washington Park
• Location: Maryland
• Established: 1946
• Admission: Free
• Social Sites: Facebook, Twitter

Even though it’s spread out over 341 acres, Fort Washington Park feels like a small neighborhood park on the Potomac River, just south of Washington, DC (you can see the Washington Monument and planes landing at Reagan International from the fort). To get there, you have to drive through the Maryland suburbs, and it’s nestled in a well-developed neighborhood.

Today, the park is mostly visited by picnickers, local joggers, and curious locals. It’s not high on the list of must-sees for tourists to DC. The fort itself is mostly intact and rather impressive, however, and it certainly makes for an interesting detour. Plus, ambling around the grounds provides a view of the capital that few see.

Fort Washington is also part of the National Park Service’s Civil War Defenses of Washington unit, which oversees 19 sites across the District, Maryland, and Virginia (of the 68 forts and 93 batteries that existed in 1865).

(Click on all pictures to embiggen.)

Fort Washington

An earlier fort existed at this location – Fort Warburton – which was built to defend the young national capital, but it was destroyed during the War of 1812.

Construction began on Fort Washington soon after, in 1815, and continued until 1824. Though it was strategically located just downriver from Washington, DC, the fort didn’t play a significant role until the Civil War… and its location across the river from Virginia became critical.

Fortifications and renovations continued to expand and grow the fort over the following decades, and it continued to play a role in the country’s coastal defense. The fort primarily served as a barracks and training grounds during the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II.

During WWII, the park was home to the 67th Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (the entire corps totaled 60,000 at its height). Women assigned to the fort worked in administrative, communications, and transportation functions to replace men who were needed overseas. These women, however, were limited to working with the Army – not in the Army.

Toward the end of the war, portions of the park and some of the buildings were used as public housing. In 1946, the fort and property were transferred to the Department of the Interior.

Park and Lighthouse

The park visitor center is the unmistakable yellow house perched on top of a hill overlooking the fort. Originally, it was the commandant’s house, and it was built in 1822.

The Fort Washington Lighthouse, otherwise known as Light 80, dates back to the 1870s. (Previous to that, a single-pole light had been erected in 1857.) When the property was transferred to the Department of the Interior after WWII, the lighthouse remained under Coast Guard supervision. At that time, the light station consisted of the bell tower, a seven-room medium frame dwelling, a timber dock, and a frame boat house.

In 1954, the light became automatic (i.e., the light keeper was out of a job) and all the associated structures were eventually removed. Then, in the 1970s, the fog bell broke. Nevertheless, the lighthouse still stands, is still maintained by the Coast Guard, and still flashes every six seconds.

But it’s certainly seen better days. In fact, it looks like a stiff wind would blow it over.

Junior Ranger

Like most NPS sites, Fort Washington has a park-centric Junior Ranger program. The book focuses on the history of the fort, Civil War life, and the wildlife of the surrounding park. For the Roarbots, Junior Ranger booklets and swearing-in ceremonies are a mandatory part of any NPS visit.