Fort Crown Point facts for kids
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Fort Crown Point
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Ruins of the fort's barracks, 2020
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 Location in New York Adirondack Park
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Crown Point, New York, NY |
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| Area | 11,800 acres (4,800 ha) |
| Built | 1759 |
| NRHP reference No. | 68000033 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1968 |
| Designated NHLD | November 24, 1968 |
Fort Crown Point was a large fort built in 1759. It was constructed by British and American colonial soldiers. The fort is located in upstate New York, near the town of Crown Point. It sits on a narrow part of Lake Champlain, close to what is now the border between New York and Vermont.
The British built Fort Crown Point to protect the area from the French. It was the biggest fort made of earth ever built in the United States. Today, the fort's ruins are a National Historic Landmark. You can visit them as part of the Crown Point State Historic Site.
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History of Fort Crown Point
Before the British built Fort Crown Point, the French had their own fort there. It was called Fort Saint-Frédéric and was built in the 1730s. Its walls were very thick, about 12-foot (3.7 m) (3.7 meters) of limestone.
French and Indian War
British forces tried to capture Fort Saint-Frédéric twice during the French and Indian War. This war was fought between Great Britain and France, along with their Native American allies. In the summer of 1759, the French destroyed their own fort to keep it from falling into British hands.
After the French destroyed Fort Saint-Frédéric, the British army took over. Sir Jeffery Amherst led the British. His soldiers had just captured another French fort to the south, which he renamed Fort Ticonderoga. Amherst wanted to keep his soldiers busy during the winter of 1759. So, he ordered them to build Fort Crown Point.
Israel Putnam, who later became a famous general in the American Revolution, helped supervise the building. An expert named David R. Starbuck called Fort Crown Point "the greatest British military installation ever raised in North America."
Life at the Fort
Fort Crown Point was never directly attacked by enemies. It was mostly built after the main threat from the French was over. So, it was used more as a place to gather troops and supplies than as a fighting position.
However, the fort did face a different kind of danger. On April 21, 1773, a fire started in the soldiers' barracks. It spread quickly and burned for several days. By May 1774, a British engineer named John Montresor described the fort as "an amazing useless mass of earth only" after the fire. He suggested building a new, smaller defense instead of fixing the main fort.
American Revolutionary War
After the French and Indian War, the British kept only a small group of soldiers at Fort Crown Point. But this changed when the American Revolutionary War began. On May 12, 1775, Captain Seth Warner and about 100 American militia members, known as the Green Mountain Boys, easily captured the fort. This was part of the Battle of Crown Point.
The Americans took 111 cannons from the British at Crown Point. They sent 29 of these cannons to Boston to help defend Boston Harbor.
Later in the Revolution, Benedict Arnold used the fort as a base for his navy on Lake Champlain. But his navy was destroyed in 1776 during the Battle of Valcour Island. After this, the Americans left the fort. The British took it back in 1777.
By 1780, the British also left the fort. After the Americans won the Revolutionary War, the United States didn't need the fort anymore. So, it was left to fall apart.
Today, you can still see the large earthen walls of the fort. The fire of 1773 destroyed most of the original wooden and earth structures. However, the stone ruins of two barracks buildings are still there and are being preserved. In 1968, Fort Crown Point was named a National Historic Landmark.
Famous Visitors to Fort Crown Point
Some very important people in American history visited Fort Crown Point:
- Benjamin Franklin: He traveled to Canada, hoping to get their help against the British.
- George Washington: He visited on July 21, 1783. This was the farthest north he ever traveled!
- Future Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison: They visited together in 1791.
Gallery
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A south view of Crown Point 1760 by Thomas Davies.
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Ruins of Fort at Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. c. 1902.
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Ruins of Fort at Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. c. 1907.
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Ruins of Fort at Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. between 1900 and 1906.
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Port Henry from Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. Photograph shows view across Lake Champlain at hills in the distance on December 23, 1902.
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Main building of Fort at Crown Point, N.Y. in 1990.
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Fort at Crown Point, N.Y. in 1995.
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Ruins of Fort at Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. in 2004.
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An historical reenactment at Fort Crown Point, 8 August 2009.
See also
