Written by DCist contributor Andrew Wiseman.
Today, Northwest D.C. is the scene of battles over gentrification and parking. In 1864, however, it was the scene of another kind of battle: an invasion by Southern troops.
Fort Stevens, hidden on Quackenbos Street NW between 13th and Georgia, is a pretty unremarkable place. A few steps from the Georgia Avenue Thrift Store and a 70 bus stop, it’s basically a strangely-shaped hill (the fort’s earthworks) with a few cannons overlooking a couple of modern houses. Besides some broken beer bottles, there’s also a flagpole and a few plaques, one stating that the battle was the only time a sitting President came under enemy fire.
The fort was part of the Civil War “Fort Circle” defenses of Washington, where the Union surrounded the Distict with fortifications. Some of these forts exist in varying states today, and some are still well known, like Fort Reno, Fort Totten, Fort Stanton, and Fort Dupont. All of the forts were well outside the built-up area of the city, which ended roughly at Florida Avenue (which used to be called Boundary Street).
