Beyond What You See Today (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:

Beyond What You See Today
George Washington Memorial Parkway
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

In addition to its use as a coastal defense during the Spanish-American War, Fort Hunt served further military purposes in later years. During World War II, the military transported enemy prisoners here in unmarked, windowless buses, literally "keeping them in the dark" about the location and holding them as "unofficial" prisoners-of-war. Both U.S. Army and Navy personnel interrogated the prisoners for information about enemy activities. Facilities at Fort Hunt included interrogation and prison rooms, solitary confinement, and exercise areas.

Korvettenkaptan (Captain) Werner Henke, the highest-ranking German officer to be shot and killed while in American captivity, died at Fort Hunt. Falsely branded "War Criminal No. 1" by the Allied press, Henke believed he would face execution if turned over to the British. He instead chose death through a suicidal escape attempt.

Battery Porter
Completed just after the Spanish-American War, the masonry structure in front of you once held a single gun that would help draw enemy ships into range of the larger, more powerful guns of Battery Mount Vernon at Fort Hunt.

Artillery: One 5-inch rapid-fire gun
Range of Fire: 7 miles
Dimension: 65 feet wide x 65 feet deep x 13.5 feet high
Completed: August 1902

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

More about this marker.
[Safety information on the marker:]
Be safe and help us protect our cultural heritage
• Stay on designated paths. Please watch your step. Historic surfaces are uneven and may be damp or slippery. Use handrails when climbing stairs.
• Climbing on or attempting to access restricted areas of historic structures is unsafe and may damage park resources.
• It is illegal to remove anything from Fort Hunt Park. Everything is protected so you and future generations may enjoy these historic resources.