Old Stone Fort (Schoharie, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Stone Fort
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The Old Stone Fort as photographed from across the street on March 11, 2008.
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Schoharie, New York |
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| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1772 |
| Architect | Schuyler, John |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001643 |
| Added to NRHP | December 31, 2002 |
The Old Stone Fort is a historic building in Schoharie, New York. It was first built in 1772 as a church for the Reformed Dutch Church. During the American Revolutionary War, it became a strong fort.
In 1777, a wooden fence called a stockade was built around the church. This helped protect the people inside during the war.
Contents
A Fort in the Revolution
The Attack of 1780
On October 17, 1780, a large group of about 800 people attacked the fort. These attackers were Loyalists and Native Americans. Loyalists were colonists who stayed loyal to Britain during the war.
The group was led by Sir John Johnson and Captain Joseph Brant, a leader of the Mohawk people. They attacked the fort briefly. After the attack, they moved north towards the Mohawk Valley. You can still see a hole from a cannonball in the back of the building.
From Fort to Museum
The wooden stockade around the fort was taken down in 1785. The building then went back to being a church. It served as a church until 1844. A new Reformed Church was built in the village to replace it.
In 1857, the State of New York bought the old fort for $800. It was used as a place to store weapons, called an armory, during the American Civil War. It remained an armory until 1873. After that, it was given to Schoharie County for historical purposes.
The Old Stone Fort Museum Complex
Starting the Museum
In 1888, the Schoharie County Historical Society was created. Their goal was to run a museum at the Old Stone Fort. By 1899, they had collected 2,500 items for the museum.
Buildings in the Complex
The Old Stone Fort is now part of the Old Stone Fort Museum complex. This complex includes several other interesting buildings:
- The William Badgely Museum and carriage house, built in 1972.
- The Warner house, a Greek Revival style home. It holds the Scribner Exhibit of 20th Century Communications.
- The 1830 Jackson law office, where a lawyer once worked.
- The Oliver one-room school house, set up to look like it did around 1900.
- The Schaeffer-Ingold Dutch barn, a special type of barn. Experts like Harold Zoch studied these barns.
Special Exhibits and Research
In 2025, the Old Stone Fort Museum opened a special exhibit. This exhibit celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Schoharie County Historical Society. It highlights the 37 people who first started the society.
The exhibit shows items connected to these founders. One special item is the rooster-shaped weathervane from the original church steeple.
The museum also has a research library. This library is open to people who study history and family trees. The museum complex is open to visitors from May through October each year. The Old Stone Fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
See also
