Fort Ticonderoga

ABOUT

The Fort Ticonderoga Association owns and operates historic Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain in upstate New York. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) whose mission is to preserve, educate and provoke an active discussion about the past and its importance to present and future generations. Fort Ticonderoga fosters an on-going dialogue surrounding citizens, soldiers, and nations through America’s military heritage.

Welcoming visitors since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga is a major cultural destination, museum, historic site, and center for learning. As a multi-day destination and the premier place to learn more about North America’s military heritage, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 75,000 visitors each year.

In addition to its impressive fortress, the finest colonial era fort in North America, Fort Ticonderoga offers vibrant living history programs that provide pertinent historical interpretation and exhibitions, tours of the fort, boat trips on Lake Champlain, and much more.

HISTORY

Fort Ticonderoga was begun by the French Army in 1755 during the French and Indian War and named Fort Carillion. On July 8, 1758, the British under General James Abercrombie assaulted the fort but were repulsed despite outnumbering the French 16,000 to 4,000. The British finally did succeed in capturing the fort in July 1759.

By the outbreak of the American Revolution, the fort, renamed Fort Ticonderoga, had fallen into disrepair. In May 1775, an American force under Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen surprised and captured the fort and its garrison. That winter, Colonel Henry Knox, transported a “Noble train of Artillery,” 59 cannon, weighing nearly 60 tons, from Ticonderoga to the American lines outside, Boston where many were mounted on Dorchester Heights, forcing the British to evacuate the city. The autumn of 1776 saw General Horatio Gates’ army at Ticonderoga successfully repel a British assault from Canada, preventing a total collapse of the Continental Army that year.

Americans held the fort until the summer of 1777 when British General John Burgoyne captured it during his ill-fated invasion into the wilderness of upstate New York, resulting in his ignominious surrender at Saratoga. This great victory for the United States led the French to join the American cause and helped lead to our ultimate victory at Yorktown.

GRANT PROJECT

The Americana Corner Preserving America grant awarded to Fort Ticonderoga helped to fund a comprehensive update to its site-wide historical signage to better interpret the complex layers across this historic landscape. From the shores of Lake Champlain to the Carillon Battlefield to the Jardin du Roi, Fort Ticonderoga’s geography encompasses significant historic events and surviving features, from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, that reflect the tumultuous origins of the United States.

This project uniformly and comprehensively updated and reinstalled the site’s 14 interpretive signs across its 2,000 acres to reflect the newest research and meet the museum’s current standards and guidelines for signage and graphics to create a more consistent experience for visitors.

Americana Corner is proud to assist Fort Ticonderoga with its mission to preserve the Great American Story and to help our fellow citizens grow their love of country.