One of two 15″ Rodman guns at Fort Foote

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See the Civil War Defenses of Washington Park Map web page for an interactive fort location map.

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LOCATION

Fort Foote is located outside of Washington, D. C., in Maryland just a few miles south of the I-495 / I-295 junction near Alexandria. There is parking at the site, Fort Foote Park.

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WHAT TO SEE

Other than Fort Stevens, which sports a partial reconstruction of a Civil War-era earthen fort, Fort Foote is the only fort in the Civil War Defenses of Washington that has something to offer tourists who are only casually interested in the Civil War. All other sites are for Civil War fanatics only. Distinct fort walls, two rare cannon, and post-Civil War foundations can be seen by taking a short walk from the parking lot.

Located near the entrance to Fort Foote Park are picnic tables and an indoor chemical toilet. A variety of trails run through the park, though this review focuses only on those that lead to or from the fort.

Picnic area and restroom at Fort Foote Park

To get to Fort Foote, take a short walk down the service road that is gated to prevent vehicle access. In less than a tenth of a mile you will come to a bulletin board and the National Park Service’s Fort Foote information panel. The bulletin board is full of information about poison ivy, so assume there is a poison ivy problem in the area. Be sure to wear long pants if you plan to do any exploring off of the main trail.

Road that leads to Fort Foote

Turn off to the fort

The entrance to the fort is located directly behind the Fort Foote information panel. You enter through a gap in a small hill, which is actually the fort wall. Once inside, I took a left and walked around the fort in a clockwise manner. When I visited, the area had been mowed and the interior appeared to be well maintained. Any trees you see would not have been here during the Civil War—there would have been a clear view of the Potomac River.

Entrance into Fort Foote

Enter Fort Foote through the gap in the earthen wall

Inside Fort Foote (fort wall to the left)

As you tour the interior of the fort, you will come across two 15″ Rodman guns and a number of empty gun mounts. Only twenty-five such artillery pieces remain in existence, and two of them are here at Fort Foote. The Rodman guns were so heavy (50,000 pounds) that they were simply left here after the fort was decommissioned in 1878. At many forts, they were blown up and carted off in pieces.

15″ Rodman gun sits exactly where it was at the end of the Civil War

Empty gun mount

Take a look at the front barrel of the cannon and you will see the manufacture date of 1863. “TJR” stands for Thomas J. Rodman, the inventor of the gun. Rodman developed a way to cool the molten metal from the inside, which created a stronger barrel that could withstand firing large projectiles.

Front of the Rodman gun barrel

There are also a few concrete and brick foundations, though I am not sure if these were here during the Civil War or if they were installed afterwards. Fort Foote was one of the few forts surrounding Washington that was not abandoned after the war. New buildings were constructed to accommodate troops; the fort was even used as a military prison in 1868 and 1869. However, funds ran out and construction stopped by 1875. Three years later the fort was abandoned altogether, only coming back into use as a training facility for a short time during World War I. My guess is that these structures are from the post-Civil War era.

Post Civil War structures

About half way around the fort is a footbridge and a trail that leads to the Potomac River. It is downhill, moderately strenuous at times, and ends at an old, graffiti covered building of unknown origin and use (at least unknown to me). If you don’t mind adding an extra third of a mile to your outing, this is a pretty neat trail to take. Give yourself fifteen minutes to complete the out-and-back journey to the river.

Bridge over the fort’s dry moat

Trail down to the Potomac River

Old building near the Potomac River

Graffiti covered walls

Inside the building

By crossing over the footbridge, you actually exited the fort at the half way point. There are still a few exhibits worth seeing, so when you return be sure to reenter the fort via the bridge, otherwise you will remain on a trail that returns back to the bulletin board and information panel. Once inside, work your way back to the original entrance that you came in at. The round trip from the parking lot to the fort and down to the Potomac River is right around .75 mile and takes about a hour, including time to explore the fort.

More exhibits at Fort Foote

Once back at the bulletin board, you have the option to continue farther down the service road, which runs for another half mile and ends at a fishing spot on the Potomac. However, there is nothing of historical interest along the way, so unless you just want exercise or plan to go fishing, I suggest returning back to your car.

For those who do want to hike to the river, the path doesn’t remain a road the entire way—it turns into a traditional trail about a quarter mile down. Like the other trail that went to the Potomac, this too heads downhill, though the decline is so gradual that it’s almost like walking on flat ground.

The park road leads to a fishing spot in a half mile

The road eventually becomes a traditional hiking trail

The Potomac River awaits at the end, and you may find a few people fishing here. Fishing is allowed in the park with the proper license. I was told you can catch catfish the size of your arm at this spot.

Fishing on the Potomac River

You can return the way you came, or if you are adventurous, along a steep trail that heads straight up the bluff. There are a number of other trails in the area, so there is plenty to explore for those who want to Lewis-and-Clark-It™ through Fort Foote Park.

HISTORY

Fort Foote is the southernmost of 68 earthen forts built to protect Washington, D. C., during the Civil War. It is situated on a bluff overlooking the Potomac, and with its powerful 15″ Rodman guns, was a huge deterrent to a Confederate naval attack on Washington. In addition to the Rodman guns, the fort was outfitted with eight 200-pounder Parrott rifles (pounder refers to the weight of the cannonball that could be fired).

After the war, Fort Foote was one of the few forts that remained in operation. It was used as a prison from 1868 to 1869, and experiments with the Rodman guns were often conducted. Additional construction was approved in 1872, but by 1875 the funds had run out and the fort was eventually closed three years later. The Rodman guns were left in place because of their weight—it took nearly 400 men to move them to the fort when originally installed.

Fort Foote was named after Rear Admiral Andrew H. Foote. Foote gained fame while fighting against the Confederates on the Mississippi River. He died from a variety of wounds sustained during battle in June 1863.

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