New York - Crown Point - Fort Crown Point ruins

Fort Crown Point - interior ruins

Inside the colonial walls of the fort, all that remains from the 1773 fire are the frames of two stone barracks and two random stone pillars from the west side of the fort. The fort at least had cannons in 1775 when the Americans arrived, though they got minimal use out of it before the British came back in 1777 (actually, the Americans were retreating from a failed advance toward Canada). So much for large ammunition. This was one of the sites where Benedict Arnold wasn't yet being a Benedict Arnold.


Walking north along the exterior face of the southern remaining barracks building. Site contributor Doug Kerr is also taking in the view.


Continuing toward the northern barracks with a decidedly unauthentic addition. Not a bad place to live if you don't mind visitors. Well protected from enemy fire.


Now I'm inside the fort, letting the sun work for me instead of against me. This is the northern barracks, with a closeup of the stone face to show the latest 18th-century hewing technology at work.


Stepping inside the first room, I look north and south at the remaining walls. The square holes belie the original presence of wooden ceiling beams long since rotted.


Facing north, a current and former doorway. It makes you wonder what warranted filling in the door during such a brief period of the fort's existence.


More southerly views, lit by the northerly May afternoon sun.


Who says there's no wood left? From the north side of the same closed entryway I found before, I'd sooner believe this was a modern insertion to keep the wall above the window from caving downward.


Here are those two random stone (and brick) pillars from the west side of the fort. Since stone and brick don't burn, I'm left wondering where the rest of these walls went.


These photos face east as I walk back from the random pillars. Having already seen the northern barracks (first photo), I head toward the better-preserved southern building. The colors make me feel like I'm walking through a Microsoft desktop background, albeit a quite stony one.


Each pair of rooms has a chimney. I'm looking at the south and north sides of this one. (Because the building is angled, the "south" side is actually the one receiving light.)


I'm on the outside, I'm looking in.


Final views of all the remaining fortifications as I leave the fort the way I came in, at the southeast corner.

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