Non-Commissioned Officer’s Quarters Rehabilitation

Fort Hunt was first constructed as military base in the months leading up to the Spanish-American War in 1898. It was designed to complement Fort Washington across the Potomac River to prevent any attempt by a foreign navy to sail up the river to attack Washington, D.C. It continued to be used as a military base until 1930 when it became parkland. However, during World War II, the park was taken back over by the military to be used a German POW camp and interrogation center. After the war, most of the structures were destroyed and the site transferred to the National Park Service to continue to serve as parkland.

Only a handful of original buildings from the early period of the fort are still standing. Near the entrance to the park is one of those. It is the Non-Commissioned Officer’s Quarters that was built in 1905. The National Park Service is now doing work on the building to ensure its long-term preservation. The more than 100-year-old structure is wood-framed and is a rare surviving example of standard military planned housing from that time period. A witness to much of Fort Hunt’s history, the building has been vacant since 1992. The National Park Service is now undergoing a major project to repair and rehabilitate the exterior of this historic building. This project will address the deferred maintenance on the exterior of the NCO Quarters to prevent further deterioration and rehabilitate and preserve this important historical asset.