Fort Crown Point

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Crown Point

His Majesty's Fort of Crown Point or more simply Fort Crown Point was a British fort built in 1759 on Lake Champlain (on the border between modern New York State and Vermont in the United States) to secure the region against the French. The fort is located near the town of Crown Point, New York. Fort Crown Point was the largest earthen fort built in the United States.

Fort Crown Point was constructed by the British army under the command of Sir Jeffery Amherst following the capture of Fort Carillon (which he renamed Fort Ticonderoga) and the destruction of Fort St. Frédéric. Amherst used the construction of the fort at a means of keeping his men working through the winter 1759 after pushing the French into modern Canada.

Fort Crown Point was never directly assaulted. Never having the comforts of the smaller Fort Ticonderoga to the south, Fort Crown Point was generally used most for staging, then as a position in its own right.

After the French and Indian War the British left only a skeletal force at the fort, who yielded easily to the Americans in 1775 at the start of the American Revolution. The fort was used as a staging ground by Benedict Arnold during the American Revolution for his navy on Lake Champlain. After the destruction of that navy in 1776 during the Battle of Valcour Island, the fort was abandoned to the British in 1777. With no reason for attacks in that region the fort was abandoned after the end of the revolution in 1780.

The large earthen walls of Fort Crown Point are still visible today. While several fires during the fort's history have destroyed several of the buildings, the stone framings remain and have been partially restored.

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A south view of Crown Point 1760 by Thomas Davies.	Ruins of Fort Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. circa 1902.	Ruins of Fort Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. circa 1907.	Ruins of Fort Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. between 1900 and 1906.
Fort Henry from Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. Photograph shows view across Lake Champlain at hills in the distance on December 23, 1902.	Ruins of Fort Crown Point, Crown Point, N.Y. in 2004.