National Historic Landmark

Fort Worden

Port Townsend, Jefferson County, Washington
Listed
March 15, 1974
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
74001954

About this property

Fort Worden Historical State Park is located in Port Townsend, Washington, on 433 acres (175 hectares) originally known as Fort Worden, a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps base constructed to protect Puget Sound from invasion by sea. Fort Worden was named after U.S. Navy Rear Admiral John Lorimer Worden, commander of USS Monitor during the famous Battle of Hampton Roads during the American Civil War. Constructed between 1898 and 1920, Fort Worden was one of the largest Endicott Period (1890–1910) forts to be built and a rare example of a post built according to the precepts of the Endicott Board on land not already occupied by an existing fortification. It was located within sight of a potential (if unlikely) enemy fortification, a British Royal Navy installation on Vancouver Island in Canada. The fort was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Location

Port Townsend, Jefferson County, Washington
48.13677, -122.76253

Categories

MILITARYENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Fort Worden

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Fitzgerald, Thomas, House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Gagen-Sherlock House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Point Wilson Lighthouse
Industrial
0.6 mi
Stegerwald, Andrew, House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Harper, F. C., House
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fort Worden listed on the National Register?

Fort Worden was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 15, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Fort Worden?

Fort Worden is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Fort Worden a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Fort Worden has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Fort Worden?

The period of significance for Fort Worden is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near Fort Worden?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fort Worden will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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