Built in 1863, Battery Rodgers was constructed with the ability to interdict sea traffic sailing up the Potomac River to Washington, D.C.. From its position on a 28-foot (8.5 m) high cliff overlooking Battery Cove, it was positioned with a clear view of fire and was ably suited to guarding the southern Potomac River and Accotink Road (Fort Hunt Road) approaches to Washington.

The battery was named for George W. Rodgers, a captain in the Union Navy who was killed during an attack on Fort Wagner.

The guns were supplied by two adjacent powder magazines, and the battery complex included a hospital, barracks, mess hall, and prison.

The land on which the battery rested was sold soon afterward, due in no small part to its location in the center of Alexandria, Virginia.

The Rodman gun used at the battery was moved across the Potomac to Fort Foote, and can still be seen there today.