Fort C. F. Smith (Arlington, Virginia)

This article is about the fort in Virginia. For the fort in Montana, see Fort C. F. Smith (Fort Smith, Montana).
Fort C. F. Smith Historic District
Part of the fort's earthworks are on the right.
Location 2411 24th St., Arlington, Virginia
Coordinates 38°54′6″N 77°5′25″W / 38.90167°N 77.09028°W / 38.90167; -77.09028Coordinates: 38°54′6″N 77°5′25″W / 38.90167°N 77.09028°W / 38.90167; -77.09028
Area 19 acres (7.7 ha)
Built 1863
NRHP Reference # 99001719[1]
VLR # 000-5079
Significant dates
Added to NRHP February 1, 2000
Designated VLR September 15, 1999[2]

Fort C. F. Smith was a small fort constructed by the Union Army as part of the defense of Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War.

History

The new post was constructed by Union troops in early 1863 and named for Charles Ferguson Smith. The fortification extended the line of Arlington forts to the Potomac River. Along with Forts Strong, Morton, and Woodbury, it functioned as part of the outer perimeter of defenses that protected the Aqueduct Bridge of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

The fort consisted of lunettes facing south and west and two bastions to the north to protect it from attack up the ravines from the Potomac. The perimeter was 368 yards with places for 25 guns[3]

The fort was entered from the east by a road that crossed Spout Run and proceeded up the hill to Fort Strong. To provide clear lines of fire for Fort C.F. Smith and adjacent forts, all of the trees for miles around were cut down. Many of the trees were used in construction of the forts and support structures.[4]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[1]

The park is preserved by Arlington County at the Fort C.F. Smith Park.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort C. F. Smith (Arlington, Virginia).
  1. 1 2 Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
  3. Cooling III, Benjamin Franklin; Owen II, Walton H. (6 October 2009). Mr. Lincoln's Forts: A Guide to the Civil War Defenses of Washington. Scarecrow Press. pp. 115–121. ISBN 978-0-8108-6307-1.
  4. Kerri Culhane (May 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Fort C. F. Smith" (PDF). and Accompanying two photos
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