Fort Townsend State Park
Fort Townsend State Park, formerly Old Fort Townsend State Park, in Jefferson County, Washington is a marine camping park in the Washington State Parks.[1] It consists of 367 acres (149 ha) of wooded land with 3,960 feet (1,210 m) of saltwater shoreline on Port Townsend Bay. Available activities include hiking, boating, fishing, crabbing, and athletic fields.[2]
History
Fort Townsend was built in 1856 by the U.S. Army for the protection of local settlers. The entire garrison was transferred to the American Camp or Camp Pickett on San Juan Island in 1859 during the border dispute called the Pig War. During the Civil War the abandoned post was used as a marine hospital. Reactivated in 1874, the fort continued in use until fire destroyed the barracks in late 1894 and was abandoned in 1895. The site was retained on the Army rolls until World War II, when it was used as a munitions defusing station. Washington State Parks took custody of the premises in 1953, and it became a state park.
References
- ^ "Old Fort Townsend State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
- ^ "Complete information for Fort Townsend State Park". Washington State Parks. 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
48°04′23″N 122°47′20″W / 48.073°N 122.789°W
