Entries to Win Afghan

Sign up to receive the Books Leaving Footprints Newsletter. Comes out occasionally. No spam. No list swapping. Just email me! jhyshark@gmail.com Previous gifts include a short story, a poem, and coupons. Add your name, and don't miss out!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Crown Point- the British Fort

 
So, the French fled, and destroyed Fort St. Frederic rather than give it up to the large British force of 10,000 men. The British preferred a site slightly farther back from the water. Possibly because they needed a bigger fort, and possibly because there were natural rock formations that allowed them to construct the trenches partially of bedrock.

This was a star-shaped fort with five bastions.

Crown Point Fort

The earthworks enclosed nearly five acres of land, barracks were constructed for 500 men, officers and enlisted soldiers.

Crown Point Fort

This looks over the soldiers' barracks to take in the Adirondacks, across Bulwagga Bay on Lake Champlain.

Crown Point Fort

We wondered why the soldiers' barracks had fireplaces and the officers' didn't. That didn't seem to make much sense. Then we found another interpretive sign that explained the officers had stoves, and tile floors.

Crown Point Fort
This looks northwest, and shows the Princess of Wales Bastion; the star points of the walls are still intact.

Crown Point Fort

And this view is east, toward Prince Edward's Bastion, with the modern bridge beyond. You can see the exposed bedrock forming the outer wall of the trench, called the revetement. You can see some work is being done to stabilize the inner wall, the scarp.

Crown Point Fort

This fort is considered one of the finest remaining examples of an early British Colonial fort. It was in full use until 1773 when a chimney fire in the soldiers' barracks spread to the armory and blew up the powder magazine. Part of the timber fort walls also burned. Only a small force remained on the site after that, and the fort was surrendered to the Americans, under Seth Warner, in 1775.

I really will get there to see a reenactment one of these years!

See Fort St. Frederic
if you like this blog, click the +1   or

Like This!

5 comments:

Rick (Ratty) said...

I would love to visit an old fort. I remember learning in school about Fort Detroit. Of course nothing was left of it, but I learned the area of the city where it stood. There is a church in Detroit that is left over from the fort days.

Ann said...

what a fascinating place. Interesting about the officers getting stoves instead of fireplaces.

Secondary Roads said...

Interesting technology and design that goes into the building of such a fort.

Emma Springfield said...

A very educational post. I appreciate the photos you included. They help to visualize the fort.

Anonymous said...

Old buildings, especially forts are cool to explore.