One of the most popular picnic areas in Anacostia Park the Fairlawn Picnic area, nicknamed "Pirate Ship Playground," offers restrooms, picnic tables and exercise equipment for adults and children. The fanciful pirate ship jungle gym reminds us of the ships that once sailed Anacostia's waters.
Built during by the Works Projects Administration during the Great Depression, the Anacostia Recreation Center offers bike rentals, and picnic areas. A pool and weight room are free to Washington, DC, residents and available to others at a nominal fee. In 1949, the Recreation Center was the site of a major integration riot that ultimately paved the way for desegregation of public pools in the District of Columbia.
Can you remember the last time you laced up a pair of roller skates? Make new memories with this ‘fun for the whole family' activity. Skate rentals are free and available during summer months. On summer weekends DJ music adds to the fun. This is the one and only roller skating rink owned and operated by the National Park Service!
Anacostia Park doesn't just have great view of the river, it has public access! The boat ramp is located at the north end of Anacostia Drive SE. Vehicle and trailer parking is adjacent to the boat ramp. Review <a href="http://mpdc.dc.gov/page/harbor-and-boating-safety-regulations">D.C.'s Harbor and Boating Safety Regulations</a> prior to launching your watercraft.
Fort Ricketts was constructed during the Civil War to protect the Maryland or eastern end of the two bridges crossing the Anacostia (at the Navy Yard and two and a half miles upstream at Benning's Bridge) and to occupy the heights above the Navy Yard and Washington Arsenal.
From this vantage point you can see where the Anacostia River flows into the Potomac. A half a mile in front of you on the night of April 15, 1848 one of the largest escape attempts by enslaved people took place. Under the cover of darkness, 77 freedom seekers boarded the schooner Pearl in an attempt to sail down the Potomac and up the Chesapeake Bay to freedom. Unfortuately, they were recaptured near the mouth of the Potomac River. Known as "The Pearl Incident," the attem
Before Dr. Carter G. Woodson, there was very little accurate written history about the lives and experiences of Americans of African descent. Dr. Woodson's home served as the headquarters for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Here, Dr. Woodson established Negro History Week in 1926, which we celebrate today as Black History Month. Plaque CARTER G. WOODSON HOUSE HAS BEEN DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK THIS SITE POSSESSES NATIONAL SIGN
On the morning after Lincoln's death in 1865, sixty-year old Charlotte Scott, a former Virginia slave living in Ohio, donated five dollars to her employer and asked that it be used toward a monument for the president. A campaign among freed slaves raised $18,000 for the memorial. Frederick Douglass delivered the keynote speech at the monument's dedication on April 14, 1876, which was attended by President Ulysses S. Grant and other political figures. The Emancipation Monument
Located in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C., Folger Park is one of the largest parks in the Capitol Hill area. In 1885, the park was memorialized and named after Charles J. Folger, Secretary of the Treasury. Folger Park is nestled in a quiet residential area, and can be enjoyed by nature lovers and city slickers alike. It includes trees, paved asphalt walkways, and "fountain benches" fashioned after the 1935 "Drinking Fountain and Bench" plan.
Battery Carroll and Fort Greble were two defense sites north of the Potomac that guarded the gateway to Washington during the Civil War. Battery Carroll was named after Samuel Sprigg Carroll, a native Washingtonian and West Point graduate.
Fort Chaplin was constructed in 1864. Its function was to cover the flank of Fort Mahan and force an enemy to detour around Fort Meigs by prolonging the obstructed line to that fortification.
Fort Davis was named in honor of Colonel Benjamin F. Davis. Constructed as part of the Eastern Branch Defenses (Anacostia River), the fort had a perimeter of 220 yards and was armed with 12 artillery pieces, including 11 cannons and 1 mortar.
InscriptionsThe Civil War Defenses of WashingtonFort DavisOne of several earthworks commenced late in 1861 to guard the nations capital from the ridge east of the Anacostia River, the fort was named in honour of Colonel Benjamin F. Davis of the 8th New York Cavalry, killed at Beverly Ford, Virginia, June 9th, 1863. Its armament consisted of eleven guns and one mortar.United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service, National Capital ParkPresented by theNational S
Fort Dupont was commenced between Ocotober and December of 1861 and "completed" in the spring on 1862. It was named for Flag Officer Samuel F. Dupont, who commanded the naval victory at Port Royal, South Carolina, in November 1861.
One of the largest community gardens in Washington, DC, the Fort Dupont Community Gardens increases the accessibility and exposure of fruits and vegetables as well as providing education on nutrition and sustainable agriculture for urban residents. The Community Gardens of Fort DuPont provide education through shared knowledge and agricultural practices by empowering the community to grow its own healthy food.
Picnic amid history at the site of Fort Dupont's historic earthworks.<br /><br />Picnickers may <a href="https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/250017">reserve sites through Recreation.gov</a> .
The picnic grove at Fort Dupont offers a number of recreational opportunities. In addition to picnicking, visitors can hike the nearby trails that link the various Civil War-era forts that protected the capital.<br /><br />Picnickers may reserve sites through <a href="https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/250017">Recreation.gov</a> .
Fort Foote was named after Rear Admiral Andrew H. Foote. He distinguished himself in the actions against the Confederate forts on the Mississippi River and died of wounds on June 26, 1863.
Fort Foote was constructed in 1863 atop Rozier's Bluff to strengthen the ring of fortifications that encircled Washington, DC. Two of the Guns that protected Washington are still there along with the remains of the fort's earthworks.
Battery Carroll and Fort Greble were two defense sites north of the Potomac that guarded the gateway to Washington during the Civil War. Fort Greble was named in honor of Lt. J.T. Greble who was killed at Big Bethel, Va., July 10, 1861.
Fort Mahan, situated on an isolated hill belonging to Dr. William Manning, was built to guard the approaches to Benning's Bridge which crosses the Anacostia River.
Built to defend the river approach to Washington, DC, Fort Washington has stood as silent sentry for over 200 years. As technologies advanced so did Fort Washington, from the brick and stone of the 19th century to the concrete and steel of the 20th century. Joining the National Park Service in 1946, the park continues to protect the Potomac River.
