A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Fort Ticonderoga – Mount Defiance

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In an earlier post I urged readers to look for a flag on a nearby hill. That hill is actually Mount Defiance. This view of Fort Ticonderoga was taken from there.

“Mount Defiance is an 840 ft (260 m) high hill on the New York side of Lake Champlain, in the northeastern United States. It is notable in that the hill militarily dominates both Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, but it was deemed inaccessible so never fortified. Mount Defiance was previously known as Sugar Loaf.” (Wikipedia).

In the 1777 Siege of Fort Ticonderoga, the British army succeeded in positioning artillery on Mount Defiance, causing the Continental Army to withdraw from both forts without a fight.

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And with this final wonderful view (below) of Lake Champlain from Mount Defiance we ended our visit to Fort Ticonderoga and headed off to our next destination, also in Ticonderoga, NY.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Fort Ticonderoga – The King’s Garden

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But there’s more to Fort Ticonderoga than the Fort itself and its collections. There’s an impressive collection of books in the shop; a restaurant offering locally produced farm to table meals; a boat ride on Lake Champlain (which looked interesting, but unfortunately we didn’t have time for); an extensive corn maze where my friend’s husband took their dog for a walk. And then there’s the King’s garden where my friend and I went while her husband and the dog explored the corn maze.

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Take A Stroll Through New York’s Past At This Historic Garden by John Williams on Only in New York describes it as follows:

There are a lot of pretty gardens in New York State, but only a few come with over a decade of history. For those looking to visit a garden that is both beautiful and historical, there is one choice in New York State that is quite possibly a bit more satisfying than many others. We are talking about King’s Garden at Fort Ticonderoga. With major Revolutionary and Colonial war history, it might just be the most historical garden in New York. For lovers of nature, it will not disappoint. For more information, keep reading, below.

The garden, which was originally called the Colonial Revival King’s Garden, was first designed by Marian Cruger Coffin in 1921. Coffin also just happens to be one of the first female landscape architects in America.

The elements of the park include a reflecting pool, brick walls and walkways, a manicured lawn and hedges, and plenty of annual and perennial flowers, which are displayed according to color and form.

The botanical garden is six whole acres, and full of heritage flowers that harken back to the location’s Colonial and Revolutionary history.

Today, it features new gardens and orchards, tended using sustainable agricultural practices.

A video tour of the grounds and gardens can be found here.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Fort Ticonderoga – Inside the Fort

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The fort buildings have largely been turned in sites for museum exhibits. According to the Fort’s website:

Founded in 1909, Fort Ticonderoga has for over a century been a leader in preserving objects related to military culture from North America in the “long 18th century” (1609-1815). Fort Ticonderoga’s collections are a singular resource in the study of the evolving role of subject, citizen, and soldier in the 18th century—a debate that links past to present and can inform the future. Fort Ticonderoga explores these relationships through the physical remains of the events that occurred on the site and the expansive collections that document the broader military experience and heritage of our founding era. The collections are distinct in that they comprehensively speak to the changing role of subject, citizen and soldier in society. Fort Ticonderoga’s collections encompass British, European, Native Nations, and African stories that show the complexities of a shared Atlantic history.

For some reason my feet were hurting. Also, the exertions of the previous day had left me feeling a little tired. So, I sat out visiting the museums.

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During our visit re-enactors went about their business: chopping wood, conducting craft/cooking demonstrations etc.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Fort Ticonderoga Cannons

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I’ve never seen so many cannons in one place. There are French cannons, English cannons, US cannons, Spanish cannons, Dutch cannons, Swedish cannons and cannons from other countries.

According to the fort’s website:

Fort Ticonderoga has over 100 cannons on site, representing the largest collection of 18th-century artillery in private hands in the Western Hemisphere. These guns were collected in the 20th century to be showcased in our museums and represent an unparalleled example of the gun founders’ art.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV