Fort Washington Park within National Capital Parks East, MD

Fort Washington Park, in Prince George’s County, MD, served as an active military installation – with some decommissioned periods – from 1809 through 1946, defending the Potomac River approach to Washington, DC, during the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

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Project Details:

Project Years: 2020 – 2021

Parcel Size: 4.04 acres

Project Cost: $4,000

Park Trust Role: Accepted donated landed, transfer to NPS

Funding Source: Donations to National Park Trust

Overview

In 2021, NPS contacted us seeking help to complete the donation of 4.04 acres of land along the Potomac River shoreline. The current owner wanted to donate the land to NPS but did not want to go through the lengthy procedure required to do so.

Instead, the owner donated the land to National Park Trust, with the understanding that we would transfer it to NPS. We accepted ownership of the property in March 2021 and completed critical steps to allow NPS to take ownership, researching title history and evaluating the environmental quality to ensure it met NPS and federal standards for acceptance. Once completed, we transferred ownership to the NPS by donation in May 2022.

Why This Place Matters

In 1814, after the British burned down the Capitol and White House, they sailed down the Potomac towards Fort Washington. Knowing it was only a matter of time before the fort would be taken, the commanding officer ordered an evacuation and blew up the fort. A month later, a plan to build a replacement fort on the site began and the new installation was completed in 1824. In 1946, Fort Washington was transferred to the National Park Service (NPS), and the grounds were finally opened to the public as a park.

The 4.04-acre property, the last private land inside the park’s boundary, was undeveloped, and NPS ownership ensures the protection of the natural landscape in that area along the Potomac River.

Significance of the Acquisition:

• • Prevents further development in a dense urban area
• • Allows the undeveloped property to be managed with the surrounding parkland
• • Increases parkland that is accessible to the public
• • Maintains natural shoreline landscape, as viewed from across the Potomac.