| Fort Lyon | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C. | |
| Fairfax County, Virginia, USA | |
&sq=crain_ford&lang=en&file=File:Fort_Lyon_Diagram.jpg) A diagram of Fort Lyon, indicating cannon, magazine, and bombproof locations as well as the overall shape of the fort. | |
| Coordinates | 38°47′38″N 77°04′40″W / 38.79389°N 77.07778°W |
| Type | Earthwork fort |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Union Army |
| Condition | Dismantled |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1861 |
| Built by | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| In use | 1861–1865 |
| Materials | Earth, timber |
| Demolished | 1865 |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Fort Lyon (usually Camp Lyon in Northern records) was a timber and earthwork fortification constructed south of Alexandria, Virginia, as part of the defenses of Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War. Built in the weeks following the Union defeat at Bull Run, Fort Lyon was situated on Ballenger's Hill south of Hunting Creek, and Cameron Run (which feeds into it), near Mount Eagle. From its position on one of the highest points south of Alexandria, the fort overlooked Telegraph Road, the Columbia Turnpike, the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, the Little River Turnpike, and the southern approaches to the city of Alexandria, the largest settlement in Union-occupied Northern Virginia.
The Huntington Station of the Washington Metro is located next to Fort Lyon's former hilltop site, which is commemorated by a historical marker at the north end of the station lot off North Kings Highway.