Happy Birthday, Fort Stanwix!

Oh, how we love Fort Stanwix!

Fort Stanwix, in Rome, NY, was built during the French and Indian War, to provide protection for “The Carry.” The Carry was a trail on dry ground between the popular waterways, Wood Creek and the Mohawk River. It was so named because settlers and traders had to hop out of their boats when they reached the end of one waterway and carry their boat and goods to the next waterway. The fort was built by the British, back when we were a British colony. It was named after British General John Stanwix. Americans renamed it Fort Schuyler, after the popular General Phillip Schuyler (who was Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law, by the way). General Schuyler already had a number of forts named after him (including one in Utica), so the name was dropped and everyone called the place Fort Stanwix.

Legend has it that the first real flag of the United States of America was flown here.

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Fort Stanwix was one of the targets of the British “three pronged attack” during the Revolutionary War. The British planned to invade and conquer Albany, NY, our state capital. In doing so, the British would slit the 13 Colonies in half: the plan was a brilliantly devised one of divide and conquer.

Through the hand of Divine Providence, the British plans went awry. The British army led by General St. Leger coming from the west were stifled at Fort Stanwix. The British army led by General Burgoyne was sabatoged and captured in Saratoga, NY. And the British army led by General Howe that was supposed to come up from Philadelphia from the south never even got started. New York proved much more resistant than the British thought– after this event, the French joined the Americans and the British scampered down to the Southern Colonies to try to conquer there. You can read more about the three-pronged attack in what is considered the “bloodiest battle of the American Revolution” here.

After the war, the fort was abandoned. It fell into disrepair, and the city of Rome was built over it. A revival of interest in our historic heritage spurned the interest of people in the city. The Fort was declared a national historic park in 1935. The site was excavated and rebuilt in 1976, America’s Bicentennial Year.

This weekend, Fort Stanwix is celebrating her 75th birthday, with parades, reenactments, music, and more. This is one of the BEST national parks we have ever visited. We try to go every year or so. Unfortunately, I will miss my visit this year; we are renovating our home and are on a tight deadline. If you want to visit, see the official Fort Stanwix website, or call 315-338-7730.

Happy birthday, Fort Stanwix! You are an example of the tenacity and faith of our golden founding era.

More Photos of Fort Stanwix 2009

We made our annual visit to Fort Stanwix on Independence Day (July 4th). See Part 1 here. We’d been wanting to visit on the holiday for many years– finally we got to! And it was GREAT. There was a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, a stirring speech to patriotism and our true roots, and a few huzzahs for our Constitution and the Continental Congress. Here are more photos of the great time we had.

At the fort, you are free to roam the grounds. There are rooms where you can enter and see exact replicas of colonial life as it was back then. And you can mingle with the soldiers and officers and strike up a chat about the importance of, say, the First Amendment. There were also several marching and musket drills to enjoy watching. Read more

More Fort Stanwix Photos

Yes, more photos of our July 4th trip to Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY. This is such a great place. I’ve written several posts about our visits to Fort Stanwix. It is, in my opinion, probably the best New York State park! And it’s part of the National Park Service, too. You can check out more information by going to www.nps.gov to learn more about Fort Stanwix and other national parks.

Now for the photos! I recommend that you enlarge the first photo for the full effect. The fort is surrounded by a high earthen berm, for added protection against invading enemies. So the view is really great!

Read more

Fort Stanwix Photos

Here are more photos of our terrific visit to Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY. You can read Part 1.

There’s a drawbridge at the entrance. The fort was made historically accurate. Big meaty stakes with sharpened points tilt outward. There’s a big dry moat all around the fort. During times of peacefulness, the women and children camped in these big ditches.

Inside the fort is a great big spacious area, with wooden walls leading to rooms. You can wander freely inside the rooms.

There are a variety of rooms– captain’s quarters, soldier’s quarters, missionary’s quarters, the “Suttler’s” room (like a general store), and more. It’s really great to meander throughout the grounds! Read more

Fort Stanwix in Rome, New York, Part 1

We absolutely adore Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY. It’s one of the finest national parks, I think. The rangers and volunteers are really devoted to history, and are extremely knowledgeable as well as friendly!

We try to go to this fort every year. And this year, it was extra special: we went on July 4th, Independence Day, for the reading of the Declaration of Independence.

I took a few videos of the reading (it was thrilling!!) but I have not pieced the clips together. I, uh, HOPE to have this done before NEXT July 4th rolls around…

After the reading, we Read more

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