{"nrhp_refnum":"66000045","name":"Fort Davis National Historic Site","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"Jct. of TX 17 and 118","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fort Davis","county":"Jeff Davis County","state":"TX","lat":30.59883177000006,"lon":-103.89543196199998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1966-10-15","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1960-12-19","areas_of_significance":["Military","Exploration/Settlement"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Fort Davis National Historic Site is a 460-acre site at the north edge of the town of Fort Davis, Jeff Davis County, Texas. It preserves the remains of two frontier army posts: the first fort (1854-61) and the second fort (1867-91).","why_significant":"Fort Davis was strategically placed to command the trans-Pecos part of the El Paso Road, the southern stem of the Great Comanche War Trail, and Apache routes toward Mexico and the Rio Grande crossings. After the Civil War it was rebuilt in stone and adobe and staffed mainly by four regiments of black 'buffalo' soldiers. It played a major role in the 1879-1880 campaign against Victorio and the Warm Springs Apaches.","narrative":"Fort Davis National Historic Site covers 460 acres beside the town of Fort Davis, Texas, in and around Hospital Canyon. It preserves two army posts. The first, built in 1854 of log, plank and adobe, was abandoned in 1861. The second, built from 1867 in stone and adobe, operated until 1891. Its surviving and documented buildings include a row of thirteen officers' quarters, several large barracks, a hospital, a commissary, corrals and a water system. Many of these now exist only as foundations, though some quarters and barracks have been preserved or restored, and one barracks serves as the visitor center. The fort was positioned to command the El Paso Road, the Great Comanche War Trail and Apache routes toward Mexico. After the Civil War it was staffed mainly by four regiments of black soldiers and took part in the 1879-1880 campaign against Victorio. The post was abandoned in 1891, after cattlemen had begun settling the area.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Publicly owned by the National Park Service and used as a park and museum. Most buildings survive only as foundations or ruins, while several officers' quarters and barracks have been preserved or restored. The visitor center is housed in a restored barracks.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.39585-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/72/9726/40972672/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/66000045.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000045/a067924cf4-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000045/a067924cf4-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"National Park Service Digital Image Archives","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Davis_National_Historic_Site_P9102741.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">National Park Service Digital Image Archives</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Davis_National_Historic_Site_P9102741.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972672","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Davis_National_Historic_Site","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5471027"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/jeff-davis-county/fort-davis-national-historic-site-66000045/"}