LCYingling3rd
Sergeant
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2021
- Location
- Lycoming Co., PA/Sarasota Co., FL
Lead elements of Union General Robert Milroy's 8th Corps Division arrived in Winchester Virginia on Christmas Eve, 1862. The General arrived on New Years day. He put his troops to work reinforcing some old gun emplacements on the northwest side of town and the Star Fort was born. Just north of the Main Fort in Winchester, the Star Fort was used during the 2nd and third Winchester campaigns.
A developer purchased the property and local and national battlefield preservation groups worked with him and he built his housing development, however, the historic site was preserved for the future. If you are traveling on Route 37, which I call the Winchester beltway because it is an interstate that circles the west side of town, you can take the Rt 522 exit and head east toward town on North Frederick Pike. Follow it a few blocks and on the left you will find the entrance to the housing development, Fortress Drive. Turn left onto Fortress drive and you will find the fort on your right. It is currently being preserved and maintained by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation and is open to the public during the day. I was last there in 2018.
Here are a few images from that visit:
A developer purchased the property and local and national battlefield preservation groups worked with him and he built his housing development, however, the historic site was preserved for the future. If you are traveling on Route 37, which I call the Winchester beltway because it is an interstate that circles the west side of town, you can take the Rt 522 exit and head east toward town on North Frederick Pike. Follow it a few blocks and on the left you will find the entrance to the housing development, Fortress Drive. Turn left onto Fortress drive and you will find the fort on your right. It is currently being preserved and maintained by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation and is open to the public during the day. I was last there in 2018.
Here are a few images from that visit: