Trip Report: Beltway Defenders
First published in 2005. Reformatted 2025. Business travel to Maryland presented an opportunity to find some of the Washington Defense Area Nike sites. I traveled up a day early, to allow for personal adventure before settling in for a week of hard work. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.Saturday, 3 December 2005
From DFW, I flew to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). I located a motel in Chantilly, Virginia, for the night.Sunday, 4 December 2005
As I prepared to depart the motel my cell phone rang. My tour guide had to change our 1030 meeting time, was 1400 okay with me? Sure, no problem. Juggle the schedule a bit: pay a morning visit to the Nike site I missed the previous evening, then add a visit to the Udvar Hazy museum at Dulles, then tag another Nike site prior to the appointment. Lucky for me I had my laptop computer with the latest DeLorme Street Atlas software and GPS receiver--last minute route changes were no problem. Nike W-83L VA, 38-59-31, 77-19-35. I had visited Great Falls Nike Park back in 1997. I saw that more ball fields have been built, the signature berms around the refueling/warheading area still stand, and the out-of-place radome from an Air Force gap filler radar still sits as a play shelter.Non-historic ballfields
Non-Nike radome
Non-Nike radome Nike W-83C VA, 38-59-44, 77-18-45. What I didn't find in 1997 was the W-83 IFC site. This time I knew where to look for Turner Farm. Two towers stand, and one or both of them may be original Nike radar towers. One has nondescript metal walls, the other has been blocked-up into an observatory building! Although this is a county park, the whole place is still fenced and was locked up tight.
Towers
Tower
Tower Nike W-74L VA, 38-48-49, 77-21-21. I pointed the rented Taurus south and aimed for another Nike site. The launcher site has become Popes Head Park, and is so decimated that the only evidence I found was some security fencing along the north side of the former access road. What I believe to be the former location of the magazines is now a nice flat grassy area.
General view
General view
Security fencing
Security fence post
General view of magazine area Nike W-74C VA, 38-49-01, 77-20-29. The nearby IFC site was locked up, so I snapped my typical locked-gate photo and went on my way.
General view
Gate Nike W-64L VA, 38-42-33, 77-15-10. Next stop, Lorton, Virginia. The gate was open and I drove right in since I was expected. My host was Gary Powers, founder and director of the Cold War Museum. Gary and I have exchanged e-mails for several years, on various Cold War subjects, so I was glad to finally meet him and get inside the gates of the former Nike site as well. A couple of original administrative or barracks buildings still stand, as do a couple of other structures, but most of the buildings are 1970s or 1980s metal buildings added during this site's service as a minimum-security prison. The two launcher strips are still visible, with concrete caps showing the location of the magazines' elevator doors. Gary is a high-energy guy--full of ideas and the drive to see them through. As we walked the sites he described various goals of the museum, their facility plans, and grants they were hopeful of receiving.
Historical marker
Building
Building
Building
Launcher area
Launcher area
Launcher area Nike W-64C VA, 38-43-15, 77-14-42. We also drove to the control site for a quick look. This property is used by the county for maintenance activities, with original and newer buildings invarious states of repair.
Sentry box
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building As we were touring the site, I asked Gary what message he'd like to share with the readers of my web page, and he said that he would like my readers to: "Please consider making a year-end donation to the Cold War Museum. Your gift will help us plan for the new year and the new physical location. Tax-deductible contributions and artifact donations to the Museum will ensure that future generations will remember Cold War events and personalities that forever altered our understanding of national security, international relations, and personal sacrifice for one's country. Please help spread the word about the Museum. Together we can make this vision a reality." After heading to a nearby burger joint for coffee, Gary and I said our goodbyes and I pointed the car toward Maryland and started calculating the remaining daylight. Traffic was light so maybe I could salvage one more Nike site. I made it to Croom, Maryland, with a few minutes of daylight to spare, and looked for W-35. Nike W-35L MD, 38-46-13, 76-43-52. On my previous visit I didn't know where to look but I headed straight for it this time. I found the gate locked, with signs indicating the former launcher site is used by Croom Vocational High School. My drive-by recon of W-35C and the W-35 housing indicated no major changes since 1997, so I didn't stop for photos in the fading daylight.
View from gate
Modern signage Instead, I took a series of country roads to Lexington Park, Maryland, and settled in to my motel room. The next five days would be busy ones, working on NAS Patuxent River--Pax River, as it is informally known. I had official business at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, but I also spent a lunch hour there, seeing the outside exhibits.
Monday-Friday, 5-9 December 2005
This was a productive week, only slightly hampered by some winter weather. This was my first research visit to a Navy installation, so it was both challenging and fun.Saturday, 10 December 2005
Beantown Communications Site GWEN 824 MD, ILC BATM, 38-37-02, 76-50-49. To start the day, I made a failed attempt to see this former GWEN site. It was behind a locked access gate, and I believe the tower no longer stands.Access gate Nike W-44 Housing MD, 38-39-20, 76-52-22. Another Nike housing area was on my list, this one another set of three multi-family buildings supporting W-44. I found it in good condition as St. Sebastian Town Homes.
Building
Building Nike W-44C MD, 38-39-12, 76-52-06. Not far from the housing, the control site is nicely maintained, but there were no signs to tell me its current purpose or owner. If the buildings are vintage Nike, they have been extensively remodeled.
Buildings
Buildings Nike W-44L MD, 38-39-17, 76-51-20. I was concerned as I made my way past brand new housing developments, but I was pleased to find this launcher site intact. It is home to the American Indian Cultural Center, and was unfortunately closed at the time of my visit.
Gate
Sentry box
New signage
Buildings
Building Nike W-45C MD, 38-38-16, 77-00-13. Okay, one more Nike site and then I'll go home. The IFC site was gated with some post-Nike antennas visible on the site. Signs did not indicate the current owner.
View from gate Nike W-45L MD, 38-38-37, 77-00-55. This launcher site was unlocked and wide open, and advertised for sale. A sentry box and administrative building still stand near the road, and two other buildings stand near the warheading area. Lots of junk was strewn on the launcher strip and it appeared that a low wall had been built around one or more of the launchers at some point in time.
Launcher area
Sentry box
Sentry box
Building
Buildings
Building
Launcher area
Launcher area After that it was time to head back to the airport. The trip home was good--plenty of space on the airplane and a smooth flight. Updated January 26, 2025
If you like what you find here, please consider making a monetary contribution. Domain name registration, web hosting, and travel cost plenty. You won't find any ads here to annoy you.