Fort Totten (Washington, D.C.)
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Fort Totten is a
neighborhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
located in Ward 5 of
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
Washington, D.C. Fort Totten is located between Riggs Road N.E. to the north, Bates Rd N.E., Allison Street N.E., and the southern end of
Fort Totten Park Fort Totten Park is an American Civil War memorial on the site of a Union fort in Washington, DC. It is under the management of the National Park Service. History Fort Totten was a Union Army defensive earthwork, built during the Civil War and n ...
to the south, the
Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview
Red Line tracks to the east, and North Capitol Street NW to the west. The
Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview
's
Green Line Green Line may refer to: Places Military and political * Green Line (France), the German occupation line in France during World War II * Green Line (Israel), the 1949 armistice line established between Israel and its neighbours ** City Line ( ...
tracks also go through the Fort Totten neighborhood through a tunnel that goes through Fort Totten Park when traveling between the Fort Totten and Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro Stations. Fort Totten borders the adjacent neighborhood of Riggs Park in Ward 4 of Northeast Washington D.C., Queens Chapel and Michigan Park in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington D.C.,
Brightwood Park Brightwood Park is a small neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. in the United States. The neighborhood is bounded by Georgia Avenue NW to the west, Missouri Avenue NW to the northeast and Kennedy Street NW to the south. More recently, areas ...
and
Petworth Petworth is a small town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Chichester (district), Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the junction of the A272 road, A272 east–west road from Heathfield, East Sussex ...
in Ward 4 of Northwest Washington D.C. Fort Totten is close to the
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
,
Providence Hospital Providence Hospital may refer to: *Providence Hospital (Columbia, South Carolina) *Providence Hospital (Mobile) in Mobile, Alabama *Providence Hospital (Southfield), Michigan *Providence Hospital (Washington, D.C.) in Washington, D.C. *Providence Al ...
,
Armed Forces Retirement Home The Armed Forces Retirement Home refers to one of two facilities, one in Gulfport, Mississippi, the other in Washington, D.C., that house veterans and active duty members of the United States Armed Forces. Current status In 1991 Congress incorp ...
, Rock Creek Cemetery,
President Lincoln's Cottage President Lincoln and Soldiers’ Home National Monument, sometimes shortened to President Lincoln's Cottage, is a national monument on the grounds of the Soldiers' Home, known today as the Armed Forces Retirement Home. It is located near Br ...
, and Soldiers' Home Cemetery. The Fort Totten neighborhood of Washington, D.C. is named after a Civil War-era fort built by General
Joseph Gilbert Totten Joseph Gilbert Totten (August 23, 1788 – April 22, 1864) fought in the War of 1812, served as Chief of Engineers and was regent of the Smithsonian Institution and cofounder of the National Academy of Sciences. In 1836, he was elected a member ...
, the Chief Engineer of the antebellum United States Army. Residents of Fort Totten not only have access to Fort Totten Park, but also to the Washington Metropolitan Branch Trail which runs all the way from the Silver Spring Metro Station to Washington Union Station in the
Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...
neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Residents who live in the Fort Totten neighborhood have access to the Fort Totten Metro Station, which has primarily been served by the Red Line since the station first opened on February 6, 1978, as well as the
Green Line Green Line may refer to: Places Military and political * Green Line (France), the German occupation line in France during World War II * Green Line (Israel), the 1949 armistice line established between Israel and its neighbours ** City Line ( ...
which has been serving the station since December 11, 1993, and the Yellow Line, which has been serving the station since May, 2006. In addition to these Metrorail Lines, residents of Fort Totten are also served by many Metrobus routes as well.


Civil War Fort

The neighborhood takes its name from the Civil War fort located at the top of the hill. It was built in 1861 and completed in 1863 to provide protection to the capital during the civil war. The fort is named for
Joseph Gilbert Totten Joseph Gilbert Totten (August 23, 1788 – April 22, 1864) fought in the War of 1812, served as Chief of Engineers and was regent of the Smithsonian Institution and cofounder of the National Academy of Sciences. In 1836, he was elected a member ...
, a general in the War of 1812. The earthworks of the main fort are still clearly visible today, including the surrounding ditch, ramparts, and the walls of the two magazines within the fort. The smaller Totten Battery, which lies 1000 feet to the north, and the connecting rifle trenches can be easily seen as well. The modern-day park is home to a number of picnic benches as well as a Civil War centennial plaque marking the main entrance to the remains of the fort.


References

{{Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Neighborhoods in Northeast (Washington, D.C.) Totten Totten Totten 1861 establishments in Washington, D.C.