New York - Crown Point - Fort Crown Point walls

Fort Crown Point - exterior walls

This site was just not meant to be a fort. It was in British hands for even less time than French, surviving just 21 years, 7 of which were spent as a burned-out husk and partially overrun by Americans (1775-1777). No one ever found a use for it, but it was sure busy in its heyday. And compared to the French Fort St-Frédéric, it was sure large.


When I was at the fort for Champlain Bridge Day in 2012, it was decked out in its 1776 livery, and the Americans guarded the flag from all sides.

I'm walking southeast along the northeast side of the fort, between the outer wall and the fort's own wall. (In the moat, as it were, though I don't believe there was one.) The outer wall - come to think of it, they probably just dug the fort out of the landscape, so it's just the part that they didn't dig - is natural rock, while the original wall on the inside is heavily shored up at the eastern corner because it's the last remaining section of wall still standing instead of crumbled and overgrown.


Looking back northwest, the wall of the fort curves into the eastern promontory.


A northward view of the natural rocks that constitute the "outer wall".


Panning from south to north at the eastern promontory. The path from Fort St-Frédéric to Fort Crown Point comes from the north and heads all the way south between the outer and inner walls before crossing into the fort and heading back north again. Here you get your first taste of the old fort's chimneys, arranged to heat pairs of adjoining rooms in the barracks. Also, the last photo shows the incorporation of natural rock into the fort wall along with a remnant of the stonework that was also used. (From the part of the wall that is shored, it appears that the interlaced stones were manually placed against the outside of the carved rock, presenting a smoother appearance. Not sure why that was important.)


Remaining wall at the southeastern promontory, then 3 views to the north from that point. The path crosses over here to head to the fort ruins.


Looking both ways from the top of the wall before I head in. Only up here is the shape of the fort readily discernible.


I've walked north along the wall back to where the original section is still standing (with some help). The dug-out "outer wall" separates me from the approach road, NY Route 185, and parking.


But I didn't spend all my time along that eastern section of the fort wall. Here's where the rock was dug out along the southern edge.


And here, the northern fort wall, with Cheney Mountain (NY) in the distance.


Saving the most unusual for last, here are some of the older examples of graffiti carved into a large rock inside the fort. (See, that's how real men and women carve their names. No sissy switchblades in tree trunks or markers on walls. If you can't gouge into solid rock, you're not worth remembering.) Of course, it makes you wonder if some modern visitors don't smuggle in their own chisels and pretend they were here first.

See the interior ruins
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