Photos: Battery Mount Vernon at Fort Hunt Park

Picture it - large heavy guns blasting enemy ships out of the water from Fort Hunt Park. That was the idea behind Battery Mount Vernon, one of four similar batteries that were built to defend the nation's capital in the event of a naval attack.

The three-gun concrete Endicott Perior 8-inch gun battery was built by the War Department in 1898 - just in time for the Spanish-American War - yet it was never used, except perhaps ceremoniously. It was deactivated in 1917, and is now a popular spot at Fort Hunt for tourists, teenagers with chalk and spraypaint and children who like to explore.

Enjoy the pictures!