000-5079

Fort C. F. Smith Historic District

VLR Listing Date

09/15/1999

NRHP Listing Date

02/01/2000

NRHP Reference Number

99001719

Fort C. F. Smith is the best-preserved Civil War defensive fort in Arlington County. Built in 1863, it was one of several Union forts that encircled Washington, D.C., during the Civil War. Situated on the Potomac Palisades, it was designed and oriented to capitalize on the defensive advantages of the existing topography, which remains virtually undisturbed to this day. The fort was first called the “fort at Red House” or “Fort McDowell,” but in June of 1863, it was named to honor Major General Charles Ferguson Smith. A veteran of the war with Mexico, Gen. C.F. Smith had then commanded armies in the west prior to the Civil War.  Gen. Smith died of sepsis after an accident late in 1862 while serving in the Army of the Mississippi under Ulysses S. Grant. After the war, the fort was incorporated into a farm containing a house, barn, cottage, and shed built around 1870. The former Fort C.F. Smith and associated buildings now serve as the focus of a Arlington County recreational park.

Last Updated: April 18, 2025

Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.

Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

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