Fort Davis in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Fort Davis
Civil War Defenses of Washington
| | 1861 - 1865 | |
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, March 5, 2011
1. Fort Davis Marker
Earthworks of Fort Davis are visible behind the wooded area in front of you.
[Captions:]
Fort Davis from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers drawing.
Fort Davis was named after Col. Benjamin F. "Grimes" Davis, hero at Harpers Ferry in 1862, killed at the Battle of Brandy Station, June 9, 1863.
Other Civil War fort locations administered by the National Park Service.
During the Civil War, Washington's forts overlooked farm land.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Defenses of Washington series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 9, 1863.
Location. 38° 51.986′ N, 76° 57.034′ W. Marker is in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Fort Davis. It is on Alabama Avenue Southeast north of Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3829 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington DC 20020, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Fort Davis (a few steps from this marker); Original Federal Boundary Stone, District of Columbia, Southeast 3 (approx. 0.3 miles away in Maryland); Fort DuPont (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Fort DuPont (approx. 0.7 miles
this page online
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, March 5, 2011
2. Fort Davis Marker
National Archives
3. Fort Davis
Plan and sections of Fort Davis - NAID: 117886571, Drawer 169, Sheet 085, Maps and Charts.
Library of Congress
4. Major Benjamin Franklin Grimes Davis
Benjamin Franklin Grimes Davis was a Southerner and first cousin of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Rather than siding with the South, Davis chose to fight for the United States. During the Maryland Campaign, he led a daring cavalry escape from the encircled garrison at Harper's Ferry. When Colonel Davis found the rebels he did not stop at anything, but went for them heavy, one of his troopers said of him. I believe he liked to fight the rebels as well as he liked to eat. -- Eric J. Wittenberg & Daniel T. Davis, Out Flew the Sabres, page 24.
courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, January 16, 2026
5. Fort Davis 3DEP LiDAR Imagery
Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 5, 2022, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 572 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 5, 2022, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 3, 4. submitted on March 14, 2024, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 5. submitted on March 12, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
