Fort Meyer by Ewingjr98
Fort Meyer, along with Arlington Cemetery, was once part of the estate of George Washington's heirs. Just before the Civil War, Robert E. Lee married into the family and took ownership of this plantation. When the war began, the US government confiscated these lands for military purposes; this was one of many sites used for the ring of forts that defended the capital city. After the Civil War, this became a major signal corps installation, then a cavalry headquarters. A significant portion of the north end of the post is designated as a historical area, as many of the buildings here, mostly large general officers' quarters, were constructed between 1895 and 1908. The most famous is called Quarters One; built in 1899 it has been home to the Chief of Staff of the Army, including Generals George C. Marshall, Omar N. Bradley, Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
This post is also the site of the the first military aircraft flight, when in 1908 Orville Wright flew for over a minute in one flight, then crashed his aircraft the second time it was off the ground. Wright survived, but his passenger, Lt Selfridge, was killed, become the military's first death in powered flight.
