A Chronicle of the Historic Military Railroad Corridor at Fort Belvoir (Camp A.A. Humphreys)

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Roads, Rivers, Rails and Trails (and more): The Archaeology of Linear Historic Properties" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The Historic Military Railroad Corridor at Fort Belvoir (formerly Camp A.A. Humphreys), Virginia is a National Register listed linear resource consisting of a four-mile-long main line track bed, five-and-a half miles of sidings, and forty-one associated buildings, sites, and structures. The railroad was constructed at Camp A.A. Humphreys in 1918, and was expedited due to a growing need to support World War I efforts. The railroad played an integral part in the formation of Camp A.A. Humphreys, which served as a central training facility for troops during World War I. Although initially built to serve the war effort, the railroad would later be used to perform railroad transport safety tests as well as provide coal to Washington’s Military District. By researching the railroad’s use and change through time, one can examine the ways in which a linear resource affects the nature and design of a military landscape.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Roads, Rivers, Rails and Trails (and more): The Archaeology of Linear Historic Properties   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 293