BLOG: Fort Richardson, Par 4
History can pop up anywhere. Even the golf course.
Most folks don’t go out to the course expecting to find an important piece of American history. They intend to enjoy the sun, chase the ball, maybe have a few beers, and catch up with a friend or two. What they likely don’t expect is to be putting into a hole that was once part of a Civil War Fort. Sound crazy? Maybe. Maybe not.
A few weeks ago, I was attending an awards dinner at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington. As is my habit, I arrived very early. Fortunately for me, one of the Club’s board members and employees was there and I struck up a conversation. The talk turned to history (as it almost always does), and I asked about the history of the building and club. The gentlemen I was speaking with was happy to give me a quick tour. Out on the upper deck area, we had a clear view of one of the nearby greens. It was then I was stunned to hear of and see that the remains of Fort Richardson were still visible.
I don’t know why I was surprised. As a historian, I know that history is literally EVERYWHERE. Maybe it was the location of the course. Maybe it was that it was so obvious that after I knew what I was looking at, I couldn’t understand how I didn’t realize it before. Defensive earthworks surrounding a putting green. Prominent, as if the groundskeeper expected a rush of groundhogs to attack the green and ruin the day for some unexpected golfer. Clear as day. At least, after it was pointed out. The area around the green looked as much like old earthen defensive works, as could be seen at many of the larger Civil War Battlesight Parks. The difference here was that it was a golf course just outside Washington, D.C. Well, color me curious….
I learned that Fort Richardson was built in 1861, shortly after the first battle of Manassas, and served as a detached redoubt on the left flank of the Arlington Line. As the highest of the fortifications, it had a commanding view of the approaches along the Columbia Turnpike. Rather small, only a few hundred yards in perimeter, it had room for 15 guns including one 100-pound Parrott Rifle. Nothing super interesting happened at the fort, but that is often the case. It did its job and did it well: it was never taken, it held the line. At the end of the war, the land was returned to the previous owners.
Today, the remains are rather well preserved. Silent and unassuming, to the casual passerby (golfer, groundhog or otherwise), it is just part of well-kept landscape. But, for history lovers, it is a reminder that you can find these treasures any and everywhere. I guess that’s just par for the course……
