Fort Washington (Massachusetts)
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Fort Washington
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Fort Washington
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| Location | 95 Waverly St., Cambridge, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 42°21′23.6″N 71°6′15.4″W / 42.356556°N 71.104278°WCoordinates: 42°21′23.6″N 71°6′15.4″W / 42.356556°N 71.104278°W |
| Area | 0.7 acres (0.28 ha) |
| Architect | Richard Gridley |
| Architectural style | Three Gun Half Moon Battery |
| NRHP Reference # | 73000284 |
| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1973 |
Fort Washington, also known as Fort Washington Park, is an historic site at 95 Waverly Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was built by soldiers of the Continental Army under the orders of George Washington in November 1775. It is the oldest surviving fortification from the American Revolutionary War and the only surviving fortification from the Siege of Boston. Fort Washington was placed on the List of Registered Historic Places in Massachusetts on April 3, 1973.
In a letter to Joseph Reed written at Cambridge in November 1775, George Washington wrote, "I have caused two three gun half moon batteries to be thrown up for occasional use."
At the time these small fortifications were constructed, Henry Knox was on his way to Fort Ticonderoga to get the best of the cannons which were there and at Fort Crown Point, a three-month exercise known as the noble train of artillery. The troops needed to be trained in constructing works in which the guns could be mounted promptly.
The property was acquired by the City of Cambridge and restored in 1857, at which time three 18-pounder cannons from the old Fort Winthrop, located on Governor's Island, were installed, and an elaborate granite and iron fence was designed by architect John R. Hall to protect the site.
A description of the property at the time of that transfer was later compiled by local historians:
The three gun battery at the foot of Allston Street retains the semblance of a fort, and is called Fort Washington. The land where this battery was thrown up had been held in common from the close of the Revolution till 1857, when it was deeded to the city by the following persons: Edmund T. and Elizabeth Hastings, Mary E. Dana, Joseph A. and Penelope Willard, John and Hannah B. Bartlett. A fund of $800 was also turned over to the city, by these people who cared for this plot of historic land. The conditions named include "that the above premises when suitably enclosed and adorned by said city, shall forever remain open for light, air, and adornment, for the convenience and accommodation of the owners of estates in said Pine Grove, and of the Public generally."
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