Discovery Park in Seattle spans 534 acres, making it the largest park in the city, by far. Most people go to take in the stunning views and see the West Point Lighthouse, but some know of its history as a military fort. However, most Washingtonians don’t know that Fort Lawton once housed German prisoners during World War II.

Discovery Park is a historic treasure located in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood.
chris tarnawski / Flickr
It's entirely possible to forget you're in the middle of a city while you're exploring this tranquil, rugged place.
Fort Lawton dates back to the 1800s, initially occupying much of the northwestern part of Magnolia Bluff.
Theodore E. Peiser / Wikipedia
Fort Lawton was named after Maj. Gen. Henry Ware Lawton, a veteran of the Civil War and the Spanish-American War who was killed in action in the Philippines. It officially opened on February 9, 1900.
The military encampment was redesigned in 1902 for infantry use.
Joe Mabel / Flickr
In 1938, during the Great Depression, the Army offered to sell Fort Lawton back to the city of Seattle for only a dollar. The city declined.

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During World War II, a whopping one million troops passed through Fort Lawton, with 20,000 at a time being stationed here.
Seattle Municipal Archives / Flickr
And during the war, the fort was also used as a POW camp for German soldiers.
About 1,000 Germans were imprisoned here during World War II, with several thousand Italians passing through on their way to Hawaii for imprisonment.
Joe Mabel / Wikipedia
In August of 1944, an Italian POW, Guglielmo Olivotto, was found murdered at Fort Lawton after a night of rioting. 28 soldiers were convicted of the crime, but the convictions were set aside in 2007.
After the war, Fort Lawton continued on for decades.
Joe Mabel / Wikipedia
It was designated as a part of Discovery Park in 1973, and now many of its buildings are perfectly preserved and owned by the city of Seattle.
The next time you visit Discovery Park, make sure to check out this old World War II POW camp.
Wonderlane / Flickr
You'd never guess such a peaceful place would have such a turbulent history.

Have you ever seen Fort Lawton at Discovery Park? The best way to take a full tour of the park is by hiking this trail.

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Discovery Park, Seattle, WA 98199, USA