Fort Lennox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Lennox |
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| Île aux Noix, Quebec, Canada | |
Painting of Fort Lennox, 1886, by Henry Richard S. Bunnett
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| Site history | |
| Built | 1819–1829 |
| Official name: Fort Lennox National Historic Site | |
| Designated: | 1920 |
Fort Lennox is a really cool place in Canada that's super old and important! It's a National Historic Site located on Île aux Noix, which is an island in the middle of the Richelieu River. This island is close to the border between Canada and the United States.
The fort has old defence structures and stone buildings. It's even surrounded by a cool star-shaped moat (that's a deep ditch, sometimes filled with water, around a castle or fort!). The Canadian government owns it, and Parks Canada takes care of it.
Fort Lennox was built in a very important spot. It helped defend Canada from attacks from the south a long time ago. The French first built defences here in 1759. They wanted to protect against British attacks during the French and Indian War. The buildings you see today were built by the British. They started building them in 1819 and finished in 1829. This was to stop any possible attacks from the U.S. after the War of 1812.
In 1920, Fort Lennox became a National Historic Site of Canada. It is still managed by Parks Canada. In late 2022, the fort was being fixed up and was closed. It opened again in spring 2023. Now it has a new exhibit inside the barracks, showing the different stories of the island.
History of Fort Lennox
The British built Fort Lennox between 1819 and 1829. Its main job was to protect the colony from possible attacks by the Americans. The fort was named after Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond. He was a very important person who died in 1819. He was the Governor General of British North America.
Before this fort, the French had built an earlier fort on the same island. They built it around the 1760s during the Seven Years' War. This shows how important the island has always been for defence.
In 1985, Canada Post even made a special stamp for Fort Lennox! It was part of a series called "Forts Across Canada." This shows how much of a landmark Fort Lennox is.
Exploring the Museum
Fort Lennox has a new exhibit for visitors inside the renovated barracks. It's called Passages, experiences of this Island. This exhibit has twelve different sections. Each one tells a story about the many journeys and events that happened on the island.
You can take a guided tour with a Parks Canada guide. They will show you the officers' quarters, which look just like they did in the 1820s. The north and south magazines (where weapons and gunpowder were stored) are currently closed.
The guided tours cover the fort's grounds and buildings. You'll see the ordnance magazine and artillery magazine. There's also a guardhouse, officers' quarters, barracks (where soldiers lived), and casemates (protected rooms inside the fort walls).
During summer weekends, you can see special demonstrations. These "living history" shows teach you about what life was like at the fort in the mid-1800s. You might even see a demonstration of a typical uniform. This uniform was worn by a soldier from the 24th British Infantry Regiment. You can see this on the first floor of the barracks. After that, you can go upstairs to see the dormitory exhibit.
Visiting Fort Lennox
To visit Fort Lennox, you need to pay an admission fee. This fee includes the ferry ride to the island. The parking lot and visitor center are on the west side of the river.
If you have your own boat, you can't go directly to the island. You need to go to the visitor center on the west shore first. There, you pay a fee to enter the fort.
Images for kids
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Painting of Fort Lennox, 1886, by Henry Richard S. Bunnett
