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Protecting America's Legacy (Historical Marker)

GPS Coordinates: 38.7156246, -77.0474267

Protecting America's Legacy (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:

Protecting America's Legacy
George Washington Memorial Parkway
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

Fort Hunt, part of a national park known as the George Washington Memorial Parkway, reflects the history of Virginia and the nation. Places along the Parkway represent outstanding examples of cultural landscapes; historical, architectural, and archeological sites; and natural areas.

Preservation at Fort Hunt
The National Park Service preserves and protects the resources and related stories of Fort Hunt Park in the following ways:
1. Removing vegetation to prevent root systems from weakening the concrete structure of the gun batteries;
2. Adding steel-mesh doors to batteries to improve air circulation, prevent vandalism, and promote public safety;
3. Preserving cultural landscapes, including the tree-lined historic roadbed in front of the Mount Vernon Battery.

Battery Robinson
During the Spanish-American War, Fort Hunt worked in tandem with Fort Washington (MD) to protect Washington, D.C. from enemy attack along the Potomac River. The battery in front of you held a single gun whose fire would force ships to maneuver into the range of larger, more powerful guns. However, the guns at Fort Hunt were never fired in wartime action.

Completed: August 1902
Dimensions: 55 feet wide x 65 feet deep x 13.5 feet high
Artillery: One 5-inch rapid-fire gun
Range: 7 miles
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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.

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

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