It is named after Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order which owns the lands around Santa Rosa, Biñan and Calamba.

Standing close to Silang, its adobe walls were built to protect the town, particularly the Dominican haciendas of Santa Rosa and Biñan, from tulisanes coming from Cavite.

[6] Currently, the fort serves as the headquarters and training camp of the Philippine National Police's Special Action Force and as a detention center for many big-time political detainees such as former president Joseph Estrada, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chair Nur Misuari, former senator Gregorio Honasan, and Janet Lim-Napoles.

[8] The southwestern part of the fort was realigned to make way for the construction of the Santa Rosa City Exit of Cavite–Laguna Expressway.

[1] Laguna 1st District Representative Dan Fernandez also appealed to Congress that the government unit owns it, not the military nor the police.