Fort Hunt Park, a popular National Park Service site located in Alexandria, Virginia along the George Washington Memorial Parkway is filled with hiking areas, picnic pavilions and sports fields popular with a wide range of park visitors. However, this beautiful site is home to incredible stories hidden in the ruins of its historic gun batteries and buildings. In the 1760s, Fort Hunt Park was part of President George Washington’s River Farm. As the United States westward expansion continued in the late 19th century, our eyes turned to the National Defense, in particular our coastal fortifications.
In the 1890s, the U.S. Military acquired the land where Fort Hunt sits, by then known as Sheridan’s Point to construct a gun battery of the same name. The Sheridan’s Point installation became known as “Fort Hunt” once the post was fully operational. The site was named in honor of Brevet Major General Henry Jackson Hunt (1819-1889), an artillery officer who served with distinction during the Mexican and American Civil Wars.
Some of the earliest structures built on the newly declared military installation that were constructed between 1898 and 1923, and included Gun Batteries that would later become known as Battery Mount Vernon, Battery Porter, Battery Robinson and Battery Sater. Remnants of these structures along with one of the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Quarters still stand today.
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, Matthew Virta and Vincent Santucci, January 3, 2008
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Vincent Santucci, February 11, 2008
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, May 5, 2008
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by David Lassman, June 7, 2009
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Vincent Santucci, November 30, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Vincent Santucci Huntsville, April 22, 2010
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, Sam Swersky and Doug Heimlich, December 5, 2006 and January 18, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Vincent Santucci and David Lassman, September 27, 2010
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, Vincent Santucci, and Jackie Dannenberg, April 21, 2010
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, Vince Santucci, Steve Kleinman and Mark Jacobsen, September 13, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, Vince Santucci, Steve Kleinman and Mark Jacobsen, September 13, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Vince Santucci and David Lassman, May 6, 2010
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, Matthew Virta and Vince Santucci, May 16, 2008
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Vincent Santucci, February 13, 2008
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Karen Kinsey, September 13, 2006
Audio Clip
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Sam Swersky, May 7 and 8, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, September 12, 2006
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies Sam Johnson, Sam Swersky,
Matt Virta, Vince Santucci and John Bardar, July 13, 2006 and January 29, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Vincent Santucci Hermitage, April 5, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Vincent Santucci, September 16, 2008
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies,
May 30 and 31, 2006
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Matthew Virta
April 19, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, Vincent Santucci and David Lassman, February 10, 2009
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Sam Swersky, September 14-15, 2006
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies, Vincent Santucci and George Weidinger
July 29, 2008
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Sam Swersky, May 9, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Vincent Santucci, February 12, 2008
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Vincent Santucci, Brandon Bies and Dan Gross, January 28, 2010
Audio Clips
Transcript
Interviewed by Brandon Bies and Vincent Santucci, November 29, 2007
Audio Clips
Transcript