A History Lesson
Today was an absolutely stunning day in upstate New York. North Hudson, Schroon Lake and Ticonderoga to be exact. We had planned to spend this first full day of our trip exploring Fort Ticonderoga on the banks of Lake Champlain. The $27 pricetag seemed a little steep, especially with the senior discount. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It turned into a highly educational day, spanning the history of this fort and peninsula from the mid 1750’s through the 19th century, to today. A full 250 years.
Parade Ground
I had no idea about the strategic value of Ticonderoga between the French & Native Americans, the British and the Colonies, and ultimately the Americans and the British. Our tour guide, in full British military uniform, taught us that the fort was a hot potato and was attacked, conquered, burned down, blown up, attacked again, ultimately abandoned, transferred to the state of NY, who then transferred it to Columbia and Union Colleges, then saved by William Ferris Pell, a businessman who purchased the entire peninsula in 1820 for $6,008.
The fort was originally constructed in 1755 by the French and named Fort Carillon. Its purpose was to protect the waterways from the Hudson River, north through Lake George and Lake Champlain, to the St. Lawrence River and Quebec City. Of course the British wanted to move north from New York, and in 1758 they attempted to attack, in what became known as the Battle of Carillon. The British army of 16,000, made up of British military leadership, soldiers and bolstered by Colonial militias, was soundly defeated by a French force of 4,000.
May 10, 1775
The British came back in 1759 and drove out a small French garrison, that blew up the fort as they abandoned it. The British rebuilt it and named it Fort Ticonderoga (“place between two waters”). On May 10, 1775, barely one month after the battles of Lexington and Concord (the beginning of the American Revolution), Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold led a siege of the fort. It is sometimes called the first battle victory of the Revolutionary War. The cannons from the fort were transferred to Boston and were instrumental in driving the British out of the city within a year.
The Americans only held the fort until 1777, when they abandoned it due to the British holding a superior position on higher ground. Ultimately the British abandoned it in 1781 as it became of little military value. After the Revolutionary war the US let the fort fall into ruins. New York State took it over in 1785 and ultimately donated it to Columbia and Union Colleges.
King’s Garden
The Pavilion
Enter William Ferris Pell. After buying the property in 1820 he fenced off the fort and built a summer retreat for his family. His summer home, The Pavillion, was ultimately converted to a hotel and tourists from NYC flocked to the area. Generations of the Pell family continued to improve the grounds. Stephen Hyatt Pell, the great-grandson of William, restored the Fort and opened it to the public as a historical monument in 1909. Since then it has been open every summer for tourists like Terri and me. The entire grounds, including the fort, Pavillion and King’s Gardens, are supported by the non-profit Fort Ticonderoga Association, formed in 1931 by Stephen Pell.
Building a 1774 Boat (Hull in background)
The association is preparing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence in 2026. They are re-enacting each year leading up to that anniversary. This year their re-enactments involve 1774. Since the fort was occupied by the British that year, they wear British “red coat” uniforms and traditional customary costumes. The tours we took were very well done by, what I assumed, were bright, young actors, performing their roles with passion and a deep knowledge of the history.
All in all it was a really enjoyable day in a spectacular setting, with perfect weather. We’ve visited many National Parks and Monuments, and they’re all very consistent and very well run. TIconderoga, run by a non-profit association, is equal to the better funded NPS. If you get the chance, take it, and visit Fort Ticonderoga.
