Marching through Washington

As the 150th anniversary of the Civil War approaches, rediscover some of the D.C. area’s lesser-known Civil War sites.

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Fort Stevens was the site of the only Civil War battle inside Washington's city limits. Part of its earthen walls have been rebuilt and fortified with cannon.

Astrid Riecken / for The Washington Post

This contemporaneous illustration shows how Fort Stevens looked during the Civil War.

Reproduced from a series of articles titled "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" published in the Century Magazine.

Memorials in the Battleground National Cemetery honor the soldiers who fought in the battle of Fort Stevens.

Astrid Riecken / for The Washington Post

President Lincoln spent his summers in a cottage on the grounds of the Soliders' Home in Northwest Washington. This photo shows how it appeared in the late 1800s.

/ The National Trust for Historical Preservation

The United States Patent Office -- now the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery -- as it appeared in the middle of the 19th century. This view is of the F Street facade.

John Plumbe / Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

During the Civil War, soldiers bunked among the exhibits and displays in the Patent Office.

/ Harper's Weekly

John Wilkes Booth and his conspirators plotted the murder of President Lincoln at Mary Surratt's boarding house on H Street NW. She was later hung for her role in the plot.

/ Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Three years after President Lincoln's assassination, the District unveiled a statue of him outside City Hall. It stood atop a 35-foot column in the middle of D Street.

/ Library of Congress

The City Hall building is now the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and Lincoln's statue stands on a much smaller pillar outside.

Dennis Shipley

The National Building Museum -- built as the Pension Building after the Civil War -- features a 1,200-foot frieze depicting Union soldiers and sailors.

/ National Building Museum

The Church of the Epiphany is one of the few surviving Civil War-era churches in downtown Washington. Its tower is now only two levels (instead of the original four seen in this photo) as a result of damage from an 1897 storm.

/ Church of the Epiphany archives

The Winder Building, at the corner of 17th and E streets NW, was used extensively by the Union army during the war. Generals had offices inside; the Signal Corps sent semiphore messages from the roof.

/ Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Arlington House was the home of Robert E. Lee when the Civil War began. It later became a Union army headquarters and then part of Arlington National Cemetery.

Rich Lipski / The Washington Post

Fort Ward in Alexandria was one of the largest of the 68 forts that defended Washington from Confederate attack. It now houses a park and museum.

Courtesy of alexandriava.gov

Part of Fort Ward has been returned to its 1865 appearance, featuring a number of cannons.

Fritz Hahn / for The Washington Post

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Marching through Washington

As the 150th anniversary of the Civil War approaches, rediscover some of the D.C. area’s lesser-known Civil War sites.

Featured Photo Galleries