Fort Davis is a residential neighborhood located in
southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, on the border between the
District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
and
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. It is bounded by
Southern Avenue,
Pennsylvania Avenue SE, and Alabama Avenue SE/Bowen Road SE.
Fort Davis Park abuts the western corner of the neighborhood. This park was the site of an
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
fort, part of the
Defenses of Washington, that gives the neighborhood its name.
Fort Dupont Park is adjacent to the neighborhood's northern border on Alabama Avenue SE between Massachusetts Avenue SE and Burns Street SE.
The Fort Davis neighborhood was primarily undeveloped forest until 1941. Max Sugar, a real estate developer, built the first homes in the area in late 1940. The 250 brick detached houses, originally known as "Dupont Village", were bounded by 41st Street SE, 42nd Street SE, Fort Dupont Street SE, and Southern Avenue. Sugar's development was aimed at upper-income defense workers.
References
1940 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Neighborhoods in Southeast (Washington, D.C.)
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