Fort Foote Park, February 2017

– Civil War Series –

One of 68 forts protecting Washington, DC during the Civil War, Fort Foote was built by Union forces to defend the nation’s capital from a potential Confederate naval attack on the Potomac River. Completed in 1863, this battery atop Rozier’s Bluff on the Maryland shore boasted eight 200-pound Parrott rifles and two 15-inch guns. Though it never saw action during the war, Fort Foote remains well-preserved today, and a network of winding paths crisscross the site. Highlights include two gargantuan Rodman guns and a good view of the Potomac River from atop Rozier’s Bluff. Just six miles from DC, the fort is a short trip from the city and often visited in conjunction with Fort Washington Park and Piscataway Park farther south.

carseatexperts.com

Entrance to Fort Foote earthworks

Smoothbore Rodman gun at Fort Foote

Cannon at Fort Foote

View of the Potomac River from Fort Foote