The initial area of the Washington Navy Yard, founded in 1799 just to the east of what is now The Yards, was the original home port of the U.S. Navy. The Yard’s first commandant, British-born Commodore Thomas Tingey, was a driving force for the initial development of the Washington Navy Yard, and defended it from the British invasion of Washington in 1812. Tingey served as Commandant of the Washington Navy Yard for 29 years, and Tingey Street, which runs through The Yards, is named in his honor.