A Visit to Fort Ticonderoga, Part 3

We spent the better part of a day at Fort Ticonderoga, taking in the magnificent sights of the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Champlain, absorbing the amazing and sometimes tragic history, and exploring the fort’s numerous labyrinthine pathways and alcoves. And this was all before we had even entered one building! Read Part 1 and Part 2 of our visit.

New visitors are strongly urged to visit the visitor’s hall and view a movie about the fort. Even though we are very familiar with Fort Ticonderoga history and importance in battles, we sat and enjoyed the video. I was especially intrigued with the history of its restoration. You can read about that in my previous post, A Visit to Fort Ticonderoga, Part 2.

There is SO much to see inside the buildings that I cannot possibly do it justice here. I only highlight what I found interesting, and even then I must condense it. I highly recommend that you visit the Fort, there’s something for everyone there.

Both stories of the buildings are loaded with fort memorabilia and quite a number of breathtaking archaeological finds. I was awed by this: one of the old metal armor breastplates presumably made by the first French soldiers here in the 1750s. The plaque card says the armor was discovered in 1941, built into the wall. Because of its unusual position in the wall construction, archaeologists believe the armor is a votive offering by the French masons, for “good luck.”

There were many such artifacts to be seen:

This blew me away. A piece of her wedding dress?!

A watch key was a small metal device. With it, the watch owner could wind the watch. Amazing!

George Washington had good ol’ snuff. Well, at least the snuff BOX. Read more

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.

Great Places: Schuyler Mansion in Albany, NY

In 2004, before I started my travel blogging, we visited the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, NY. The Schuyler Mansion is a historic house, right in the heart of Albany, NY, and was once the home of General Philip Schuyler. You don’t hear too much about Philip Schuyler in American history, but he was a very influential man and came from a very influential Dutch family. He is most known today as the father-in-law of Alexander Hamilton. In fact, Hamilton was married in the Mansion (it was called “The Pasture” by General Schuyler) and spent a few years there while he served in the New York legislature.

The Schuyler Mansion sits atop a small knoll over the bustling capitol streets. As a matter of fact, when you enter the grounds, there is a quiet hush on the property. You barely notice the trucks and cars whizzing down the streets, nor the boats chugging up and down the nearby Hudson River. The grounds remind me somewhat of an English cottage (or perhaps Dutch). There are flowering trees everywhere, and the brick buildings lend a homey and comfortable feel.

The Mansion was completed in 1763. It has hosted such luminaries as Alexander Hamilton as mentioned, George Washington, Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Franklin, and the notorious British General Johnny Burgoyne who, after his surrender at the Battle of Saratoga, was comfortable and graciously served here.

Photo courtesy of BCSD.

Photo courtesy of mharrsch.

Philip Schuyler died in 1804, not long after his son-in-law Hamilton in the fated duel with Aaron Burr. The large plot of land was carved up and sold, and the house used as a private residence for nearly 90 years. It then became an orphanage for some years.

On October 17th, 1917, the Mansion was sold to the State of New York and became a National Historic Site. Oddly enough, this was exactly 140 years after Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga.

When we visited the Mansion, it was quite sparse. A few of the rooms were still undergoing renovation (unchanged since the orphanage days), and furniture was in the process of being acquired. We saw the hatchet mark on the stair banister rail.

Photo courtesy of BCSD.

Legend holds that the hatchet slice was made during an Indian raid at the time of the American Revolution– Philip Schuyler’s family had been targeted; the women and children spotted the marauding savages and scrambled to run up the stairs to hide. It is said that one of the Schuyler daughters, holding a baby, narrowly missed death by hatchet when the weapon caught the staircase wood instead of her head. This is the legendary story– it is unconfirmed but makes for a good thriller!

The Schuyler Mansion is open from April to October, and closed for the winter except on special occasions. We’ve been so tempted to attend their special Christmas and Twelfth Night celebrations, but Albany is a lengthy drive for us in the winter.

The Schuyler Mansion is an understated jewel amongst the riches to be found in New York State history. I think Philip Schuyler deserves more recognition and laud than he has received thus far. He was a good, godly man, a man of integrity and incredible patriotism. He worked for and sacrificed a great deal for the cause of liberty for our country.

Thank you, General Schuyler.

New York State Museum and Empire Plaza in Albany

We visited our capital, Albany, a few summers ago. We visited the U.S.S. Slater anchored in the Hudson River, visited the famous First Church in Albany on Pearl Street, and drove around the city streets to enjoy the sights. Here’s a photo of our capitol building. Isn’t it beautiful? It’s designed after the Dutch architecture (the Dutch settled New York until the British took it in 1644).

Also during our stay, we spent a whole day at the New York State Museum. And a whole day wasn’t long enough to fully delve into everything!

The first thing we saw was their pride and joy– the New York mastodont. No, no, not the state tax code, the ancient animal. Read more