The latest Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast features Sam Huntington, the Crown Point State Historic Site manager. The site is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the ruins of two fortifications from the colonial wars between the British and French.
Long before the American Revolution these colonial powers both laid claim to the Champlain Valley and this strategically important peninsula known as Crown Point.
The French built Fort St. Frederic here between 1734 and 1737 and used it as a base for raids on British settlements in New York and New England during King George’s War (1744-1748).
As a result, the British mounted various expeditions during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) to take control of Crown Point, and in 1759 they were finally successful. They immediately began construction of new fortifications that they called “His Majesty’s Fort of Crown Point.” Enclosing over seven acres this was one of the largest built by the British in North America.
In 1775, at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, the American colonists captured the fort and secured sorely needed cannons and heavy ordnance which was taken to Boston by Henry Knox and helped end the siege there.
Crown Point was occupied by General John Burgoyne’s army in 1777 after the American evacuation to Mount Independence (in Vermont, across Lake Champlain from Fort Ticonderoga) and remained under British control until the end of the war.
The ruins of Fort St. Frederic, “His Majesty’s Fort of Crown Point,” and surrounding lands were acquired by the State of New York in 1910.
Today, visitors can explore the preserved ruins of these forts and tour a museum which includes a multimedia orientation program, large scale models, and an exhibit of original artifacts recovered from the site by archaeologists.
Additionally, the site offers access to the historic Crown Point Pier, the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse, the walking paths on either side of the newly constructed Lake Champlain Bridge, and views of Lake Champlain. Tours for school and adult groups, as well as outreach programs, are available by reservation.
On the podcast Sam Huntington shares details on how such an important heritage area is maintained. He also highlights a number of activities that are planned at Crown Point this year, including an archaeology dig and the commemoration of Seth Warner‘s capturing the fort for the Patriots in 1775.
You can listen to the episode here.
The Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast is produced by the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, a friends group supporting the Lake George Battlefield Park Historic District in Lake George, Warren County, NY.
Listen to more history podcasts here.
Illustration: View of Crown Point 1759 by Thomas Davies.
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