Fort Washington Park Fort Washington , located near the community of Fort Washington , Maryland , USA , was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington D . C . The original fort , overlooking the Potomac River , was completed in 1809 , and was named Fort Warburton . During the War of 1812 , the fort was destroyed by its own garrison during a British advance . The current historic fort — maintained by the National Park Service — was initially constructed in 1824 . It is a stone structure with a good cannon shot down the Potomac River . The fort was extensively remodeled in the 1840s and 1890s . The Fort was turned over to the U . S . Department of the Interior in 1946 after its last military personnel departed . The expansive grounds of the present Fort Washington Park , with its extensive hiking / bicycle paths and river view , are a scenic venue for picnicking , fishing , and outdoor recreation . Historical re - enactments are held periodically at the Fort , and there is a small museum . In 2006 , repairs were done to shore up the crumbling outer wall , in preparation for the 200th anniversary . The Fort Washington Light , located below the fort , was established in 1857 . The current tower , standing 28 feet tall , was constructed in 1882 . History . 1808 - 1871 . Construction on first Fort Washington , then called Fort Warburton , was completed on December 1 , 1809 . In August 1814 , with British forces in Washington ( having marched overland ) and British ships heading up the Potomac , the fort was destroyed by its own garrison to prevent it from being captured and occupied by the British . Twelve days after the destruction of the fort , James Monroe , the acting Secretary of War , hired Major Pierre L ’ Enfant to construct new defenses . In November 1814 , Monroe questioned L ' Enfant actions , asking for less spending . On July 14 , 1815 , work was halted . Two months later , L ' Enfant was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Walker K . Armistead of the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers . The fort was completed on October 2 , 1824 , at a total cost of $ 426 , 000 , excluding armament , which had not yet been installed . Extensive remodeling was performed in the 1840s and the first guns were mounted in 1846 . The masonry fort was occupied by soldiers from the First , Third and Fourth U . S . Artillery during its early history . Except for a few guns at the Washington Arsenal , Fort Washington was the only defense for the nation ’ s capital until the Civil War when a circle of temporary forts was built around the city . Battery Rogers and Fort Foote were the only seacoast forts in the system and armed with large Rodman and Parrott cannons . Fort Washington was garrisoned as the outer defense for the city . Companies of the First and Fourth Artillery as well as numerous state artillery units passed through the post during the war . 1872 to 1916 . In 1872 the garrison was removed and additional property purchased to construct a new defense system . Between 1873 and 1875 , four 15 - inch Rodman gun s and a magazine were partially constructed . In 1875 , funds for the project was withdrawn and the post was abandoned until 1891 . In 1886 , a new defense system , consisting of rifled steel guns in concrete emplacements was authorized , and work began at Fort Washington in 1891 . The next year ground was broken for Battery B , later named Battery Decatur , and the guns were mounted in 1896 . Eventually eight concrete batteries at Fort Washington and four at Fort Hunt made up the Potomac Defense Command . In the years prior to World War I , Fort Washington was downgraded to harbor defense and the large guns removed . 1917 to 1940 . During World War I , the post was used as a staging area for troops being sent to France . The 8th Provisional Artillery Battalion was organized at the post and sent to France where they became the 53rd Railroad Artillery Regiment . After the war the 3rd Battalion 12th Infantry moved in and became the ceremonial unit for the Military District of Washington . In 1939 the post was abandoned and turned over to the U . S . Department of the Interior ; the plan was use it as a terminal point for a bridge across the Potomac River and a parkway to be built along the shore . A barracks for the Civilian Conservation Corps was built that year on the post . 1941 to present . When the United States entered World War II in late 1941 , Fort Washington was returned to the army and became the home of the U . S . Army Adjutant General ’ s School . After the war ended , in 1945 , the Veterans Administration managed the post hospital and other government agencies occupied some of the buildings . In 1946 the fort was returned to the Department of the Interior . Many of the buildings built between the two world wars were removed . Since 1946 , the post has been a park , now run by the National Park Service .