By the end of the Civil War, advances in rifled artillery made masonry forts such as Fort Washington obsolete. Brick had no problem stopping a typical cannonball, for they didn’t travel with much velocity, nor were they very accurate, so the chance of blasting a hole in a fort wall by hitting the same spot over and over again was slim. However, rifled artillery had an inner barrel with a spiral grove cut into it. When fired, they sent bullet-shaped shells spinning like footballs, increasing not only their accuracy, but also their range and velocity. The affect they had on masonry forts was first demonstrated during the Union bombardment of Fort Pulaski on April 10-11, 1862 (Fort Pulaski National Monument). The walls of the “indestructible fort” were breached in less than thirty hours, forcing the Confederates to surrender.
After the Civil War, the American economy was in shambles and there was no money to replace the 42 forts built in the early 1800s, one of which was Fort Washington. However, when the threat of a war with Spain came about in the 1880s, it was imperative that coastal defenses be upgraded. The new system, initiated by Secretary of War William Endicott and referred to as the Endicott System of Coastal Defenses, called for the installation of concrete and rebar batteries that could withstand the impact of the rifled shells. While much smaller than traditional forts, they were outfitted with guns that could damage the armor plated hulls of modern ships.
Eight artillery batteries were installed on the grounds of Fort Washington, and all of them still exist today. They range in condition from good to dilapidated. Most are open to the public, though many require either a hike or a drive from the main tourist area Fort Washington Park. See the following web pages for photos and information about each battery:
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Last updated on November 17, 2024
