Neighborhood Conservation Project at Fort Ethan Allen Park Arlington, Virginia ✯ 50% Interpretive Design Presented April 17, 2013 Schematic Site Plan • January 2013 Evaluating the height of the fence, especially by the soccer Considering suggestion to add eld. a trash can along Old Glebe Road or along the sidewalk by the parking lot. FENCE Refined Site Plan • April 2013 Fort Ethan Allen Park Parking at Madison Community Center Property Sign - 54” x 36” face low profile rail mounted unit nearest parking lot low profile traditional unit in other locations Panel Samples - 24” x 36” Angled Face Proposed Fence Mesh • Invisinet Exclusion Cable Alternate Fence Mesh • Bankers Wire Alternate Fence Mesh • Wire Mesh Enlarged Site Plan • Viewing Area A PNIELCIIIOONC.WM.L. SECTION -VIEWING AREA "A" 2f-------- 0 114" :1'.q' r---------, I I ~:g .~;,- "' I ~ I s ~;,. ~ !~ I s I ~ ~:.- ~ : I .,; :il I s ~;,. ~ : I I s ~~ ~:g ~;,. I I L_ ______ j FOUNDATION PLAN SITE PLAN -VIEWING AREA "A" 1W=1'-o" Viewing Area A - Plans and Section Welcome to Fort Ethan Allen Much remains of Fort Ethan Allen, a critical part of the defense of Washington, D.C., during the Civil War. Fort Ethan Allen defended the southern approaches to Chain Bridge, one of three spans Confederates could have used to cross the Potomac and invade Washington. Unlike many Civil War sites, Fort Ethan Allen saw no major battles. But that does not diminish its value: The fort’s very existence deterred an assault. The Confederate army never launched a large-scale attack on the capital. “The possession of Chain Bridge communication with the opposite shore of the Potomac . was essential to the operation of our forces Defenses of Washington Washington, D.C., was the most heavily forti ed in Virginia and to the prestige of our arms.” city in the Union during the Civil War. By the war’s end, 164 major forts and batteries — General John G. Barnard, U.S. Army, 1871 comprised a 37-mile defensive perimeter. View across Chain Bridge from Washington Forth Ethan Allen served as a bridge- head, defending Chain Bridge from in ltration from the south. Non-mili- tary uses of the bridge ceased in 1861 in order to maintain communi- cation and troop movement across Abraham Lincoln the Potomac between Washington In late May 1861, President Lincoln and Union-held territory in Virginia. ordered US Army troops to seize strategic areas in Virginia across the Potomac River for forti cations. Lincoln inspected Fort Ethan Allen during its construction in September of 1861. Fort Marcy Fort Ethan Allen Chain Bridge Fort Ethan Allen and nearby Fort Marcy The fort was located on high ground bounded by a The strategic importance of Chain Bridge were connected by xxxx to shore up their natural ravine, Pimmit Run. Surrounding land was was re ected in the degree of protection protection of Chain Bridge. cleared of trees to open sight lines in all directions. it received on both sides of the Potomac. Will be adding labels to the map for Fort Ethan Allen, Fort Marcy, Pimmit Run, Chain Bridge, Potomac River, Washington DC batteries at the DC end of Chain Bridge, route to Leesburg. Will shadow in and label Military Roard, Old Glebe Road, and George Washington Parkway as a current-day reference.Also more detailed topography. Interpretive Panel 1 • in progress Illustration will be detailed and in full color A Defensive Stronghold, Heavily Armed No enemy would have gotten as close to Fort Ethan Allen as you are now. A half-mile perimeter of earthen walls and deep ditches enclosed the fort. Inside, as many as 1,000 soldiers manned the fort’s artillery of 36 guns, some with a range of several miles. A rugged, steep ravine between the fort and the Potomac River near Chain Bridge also deterred an attack. The closest ghting to Fort Ethan Allen occurred at Man Your Guns Fort Stevens, six miles to the northeast in Washington, D.C. When ring cannons, artillery soldiers stood on a level earthen platform behind the fort’s thick, steep walls. A replica 20-pound Parrott Ri e, is behind the “Quote to come quote to come quote to come quote to come quote surviving rampart in front of you. to come quote to come quote to come quote to come quote to A Confederate Sneak Attack? Unlikely. Attacking Confederate soldiers would come quote to come quote to come quote to come quote to come have been moving across open terrain and greeted by Union ri emen, concealed in deep quote to come quote to come quote to come.” trenches and ring from higher ground. The Face of The Fort in Pro le Sections of the Fort Remain the Fort parapet glacis The red line superimposed The red line indicates the Parts of the south face of the fort are visible. rampart on an 1871 engineer’s location of the gunports drawing shows changes in A rampart — the fort’s main earthen wall — rose and the height of the ram- the pro le of the land- part before they had scape. behind a deep ditch that surrounded the fort to eroded. Trees now grow impede enemy access. Cannons red through up in what was a steeply sloped, six-foot ditch. ditch gunports, usually openings in the top of a parapet elevated on the main wall. Help us preserve this piece of Civil War history . Please do not climb on the remaining earthworks. Thank you. Interpretive Panel 2 • in progress Illustration will be based on Versar’s 3D rendering A Bastion-Style Fort Is a Mighty Fortress Surviving Magazine, Fort Ethan Allen’s star-shaped design Guard House helped to prevent sneak attacks. Surviving Bombproof Constructed primarily from earth and wood, Fort Ethan Allen Surviving Rampart was a bastion-style fort. Bastions are angular structures that jut out from the enclosing walls. They eliminate blind spots, giving defending soldiers a full range view of oncoming troops. Bastions also allowed cross re from multiple angles, making it nearly impossible for an attacker to approach the You are here fort or scale its walls without being in the line of re. Abatis “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, cons ectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh eu ismod tincidunt ut laore et dolore magna aliquam Covered Way erat vol utpat.” Headquarters Abatis Anatomy of the Fort Was located outside of the fort, Sharpened branches from along with baracks and other Considering suggestion to “Quote to come about the construction of the fort trees cut to clear land for the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, cons ectetuer support buildings. This photo fort were used as a protective adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh eu replace this image with one of wasor takenabout after theAbraham assassina- Lincoln visiting it while it was perimeter barrier called abatis. tion of President Lincoln, as in- This soldier’s sketch shows ismod tincidunt ut laore et dolore magna the Potomac lled with silt dicated by black crepe draped tree stumps and abatis around aliquam erat vol utpat. Ut wisi enim ad fromunder the buildings. construction. Quote to come about the con- nearby Fort Marcy. from all the clear-cutting. Ties minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation well with the sketch at right. struction of the fort or about Abraham Lincoln ullamcorper sus cipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip visiting it while it was under construction.” ex ea commodo consequat. Walk up Old Glebe Road to view additional remaining earthworks and a model of Fort Ethan Allen. Interpretive Panel 3 • in progress Enlarged Site Plan • Viewing Area B .---------c-·-·----------------------+IUY.•~.G' 0 ,~.~~ION- VIEWING AREA 'B' l~) ···· l ············· ··· ···· ~...... ·.•J .•. ·.',· ... ··.· j~ ····l···· i .. --~-~- 1-~-~-~ ---------------------------~ ---- ...I .Hll. ~rr .T j l JIIUJ ~JI I JIL 0 SITE PLAN -VIEWING AREA "B' 114··1'-0" T l l 1 , Viewing Area B - Plans and Section U.S. Parrott Rifle 3.67 (20-Pounder) 20-pounder Parrott Ri e on a #3 Field Carriage (replica) A Defensive Artillery Fort Arming the Fort Armaments at Fort Ethan Allen Field guns like the one in front of you were portable and could be called into service something something when needed. The forts that comprised the Defenses of Washington Fort Ethan Allen had emplacements for 36 were spaced at half-mile intervals, supplemented with guns. [something about the term pounder, batteries and ri e pits, making a near continuous guns, etc.] The fort’s inventory in 186x included: connection between them. The artillery was chosen • three 6-pounder guns for their range of re and positioned to ensure there Positioning the Guns • four 24-pounder guns Fort Ethan Allen’s con guration of guns would have been similar to this one at Fort Lincoln in Washington, D.C. were no gaps in the line of defenses. The strategy • three 32-pounder guns worked as no major attack on Washington, D.C. • two 8-inch howitzers Ammunition A canister — a thin-walled metal cylinder occurred during the war. • three 32-pound howitzers lled with lead pellets, scraps of metal, and sawdust — delivered a lethal load • three 10-pounder Parrotts when shot from a cannon. If the sawdust got wet it would expand and the projec- • eleven 30-pounder Parrotts tile would not t down the barrel of the Guns vs ri es vs cannons • six 12-pounder Napoleon guns cannon. Add about cannon Balls. maybe a brief description of You • four 10-inch mortars are here the terms and how they di er • two 24-pounder Coehorn mortars Overlapping repower use the map with overlapping circles How many men did it take to fire this gun? showing the range of guns in progress Load Aim Ready Fire Crewman 1 sponges the bore as 2 The gunner steps to the back to aim 1 and 2 stand clear while 3 shoves the pick Now the gunner commands “Fire.” 3 receives the round from 5 and places the piece, while 3 drops back and shifts through the vent and into the powder steps back from the wheel and 4 pulls it in the muzzle.