Civil War Star Fort

Civil War Star Fort (HMBL)

Location: Vienna, VA 22180 Fairfax County
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Country: United States of America
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N 38° 54.325', W 77° 16.245'

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Inscription

1861-1865

This six-point, star-shaped earthen fort with a 130-yard perimeter was constructed on the highest point of land in the area. It provided a commanding view of the western and northwestern approaches to Vienna.

Earthwork fortifications, serving as picket posts to protect approaches to Washington, D.C., or to protect railroads, were built throughout northern Virginia during the Civil War. Some of these earthworks can be identified as Union or Confederate, but those in areas such as Vienna, which was occupied at times by both armies, often cannot be. Researchers thus far have been unable to document this redoubt or identify its builder.

Because of the complexity of its design and the time required to construct a star-shaped earthwork, it is a less common example of Civil War field fortifications. This work, with outlying rifle trenches, is thought to have been built between 1863 and 1865 to protect the Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad that ran 100 yards to the northeast. This site is also within 200 yards of Lawyers Road, then a prominent route to the northwest as well as to the City of Fairfax.

This fortification is located on part of the 1745 Northern Neck land grant to John Jenkins, later sold to William Fairfax. During the Civil War the land was owned by the Gunnell family. The Keith and McCandish families, who deeded the property to the American Legion Post #180 in 1956, were subsequent owners.
Details
HM NumberHMBL
Series This marker is part of the Virginia Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByCivil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, September 14th, 2014 at 2:35pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 303099 N 4308731
Decimal Degrees38.90541667, -77.27075000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 54.325', W 77° 16.245'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 54' 19.50" N, 77° 16' 14.70" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)703, 202, 571
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 330 Center St N, Vienna VA 22180, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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