Coordinates: 38°52′50″N 76°59′39″W / 38.880431°N 76.994301°W
| Marine Barracks Washington | |
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| Washington, D.C. |
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 Marine Barracks logo |
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| Type | Military base |
| Built | 1801 |
| In use | 1801 - present |
| Garrison | The Marine Band - The President's Own Marine Corps Institute Ceremonial Companies A & B Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps |
| Commanders | Colonel Andrew H. Smith |
Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. is located at 8th and I Streets, Southeast in Washington, D.C. Established in 1801, it is a National Historic Landmark, the oldest post in the United States Marine Corps, and the official residence of the Commandant of the Marine Corps since 1806. It is also one of the oldest government buildings in continuous use in Washington, D.C., though some sources conflict on whether the White House is a year older.[1]
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History
The buildings at the Marine Barracks are some of the oldest in Washington.[2] In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson and Commandant LtCol William Ward Burrows rode horses about the new capital to find a place suitable for the Marines near the Washington Navy Yard.[1] Burrows chose the location and hired architect George Hadfield to design the barracks and the Commandant’s House.
When the British burned Washington during the War of 1812, they also captured the Marine barracks, whom they had defeated at the Battle of Bladensburg. It is traditionally held within the Marine Corps that, out of respect for the brave showing of the Marines at Bladensburg, the British refrained from burning the barracks and the Commandant's house. Another possible reason is that they intended to use it as a command post, but left the area before this could be done.[1]
Square 927, now the block surrounded by 8th & I,[3] and 9th & G Streets S.E., was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and was then designated a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior in 1976.[4]
8th and I has been the home of the Silent Drill Platoon and the "President's Own" U.S. Marine Band since the barracks' establishment in 1801 and the residence of the Commandant since 1806, when the Commandant's House was completed.
Duties
- Funeral escort for Marines and dignitaries.
- Ceremonial honor guard for state functions.
- Security Forces for Camp David and the White House.
- Parades
- Friday Evening Parade
- Tuesday Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial
- Provide military correspondence courses for Marines and other services through tenant company Marine Corps Institute.
- Training to maintain MOS proficiency and emergency preparedness.
The Marines assigned to the D.C. barracks must meet strict height and weight standards, since they perform in ceremonial parades, funerals, and other ceremonies for presidential and other national dignitaries. During the summer months, a Sunset Parade is held every Tuesday evening at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn, Virginia near Arlington National Cemetery. In addition, an Evening Parade takes place at the Barracks every Friday evening from late spring until the end of summer. Both Sunset and Evening Parades are open to the public.
See also
- Latrobe Gate, the oldest continuously manned Marine sentry post in the United States
- List of National Historic Landmarks in the District of Columbia
- List of United States Marine Corps installations
Notes
- ^ a b c Dorr, Robert F.; Borch, Fred L. (2009-04-13). "Marine Barracks embodies rich history of the Corps" (in English). The Lore of the Corps (Marine Corps Times): pp. p. 38. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ ""Barracks History"". Marine Barracks Washington, United States Marine Corps. http://www.mbw.usmc.mil/barracks_historydefault.asp. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
- ^ ""Marine Barracks 8th & I"". Marine Barracks Washington, United States Marine Corps. http://www.mbw.usmc.mil/default.asp. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
- ^ ""United States Marine Corps Barrack and Commandant's House"". National Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1291&ResourceType=District. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- "Marine Barracks Washington website". http://www.mbw.usmc.mil/default.asp. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
- Listing at the National Park Service
External links
- Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. official website
- GlobalSecurity Article on Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
- USMC Marine Barracks Overview & PCS Information (MarineCorpsUSA.org)
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