Fort Marcy Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Marcy |
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| Part of Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C. | |
| Fairfax County, Virginia | |
Fort Marcy as it appeared during the Civil War
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 Fort Marcy
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| Coordinates | 38°56′01″N 77°07′31″W / 38.93361°N 77.12528°W |
| Type | Earthwork fort |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Union Army |
| Condition | Park |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1861 |
| Built by | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| In use | 1861–1865 |
| Materials | Earth, timber |
| Demolished | 1865 |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Fort Marcy Park is a public park located in McLean, Virginia. It is part of Fairfax County. The National Park Service manages the park as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Contents
About Fort Marcy Park
Fort Marcy is a historic site that was once a military fort. It is about half a mile south of the Potomac River. You can find it on the south side of Chain Bridge Road. This road leads from Chain Bridge to Langley and McLean, Virginia. If you are driving, you can only reach the park from the northbound lanes of the George Washington Parkway.
The fort's outer edge, called its perimeter, is about 338 feet long. When it was finished, Fort Marcy had 18 large guns. It also had a 10-inch mortar and two smaller 24-pound mortars. These weapons were pointed towards the south and west to protect the area.
Building the Fort
The hill where Fort Marcy stands was known as Prospect Hill. At first, the fort was called Fort Baldy Smith. It was named after General William Farrar Smith. His soldiers started building the fort.
General Smith's division crossed Chain Bridge on September 24, 1861. They immediately began building Fort Marcy and Fort Ethan Allen. Other groups of soldiers also helped. These included the 79th New York Highlanders and the 141st Pennsylvania. The famous Iron Brigade also worked on the fort in the fall of 1862.
About 500 formerly enslaved people, known as "contrabands," also helped build the fort. The 152nd New York soldiers worked on the trenches, which are still very well preserved today. The fort was finally completed in the fall of 1862.
Naming and Purpose
Fort Marcy was named after Randolph B. Marcy. He was a respected soldier from Massachusetts. He was also the father-in-law and chief of staff to General George B. McClellan.
During the American Civil War, Fort Marcy was used by the Union Army. Its main job was to help protect Washington, D.C. from attacks. Soldiers from units like the 4th New York and 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery served here. They were on "garrison duty," which means they were stationed at the fort to guard it.
The Iron Brigade
An interesting part of Fort Marcy's history is that the famous "Iron Brigade" started here. This group of soldiers became very well known during the Civil War. It was formed in the summer of 1861 at this fort.
The Iron Brigade was made up of soldiers from several regiments. These included the 19th Indiana, and the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin Regiments. The 24th Michigan was added to the brigade after the Battle of South Mountain. These units fought together throughout the rest of the war.
After the War
After the Civil War ended in 1865, many of the forts around Washington, D.C., were taken apart. The wood and other materials were sold. The land was given back to its original owners. Today, Fort Marcy is a public park. It is a place where people can visit and learn about this important part of American history.
Images for kids
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Looking towards Fort Marcy's ramparts, November 2020
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Entrance to Fort Marcy Park, photos and maps
