Travel:
Old Fort Niagara
Introduction
Text and Photos by Phil Viverito
Photos © Phil Viverito
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Phil Viverito, a professional photographer, was the photo archivist of Old Fort Niagara and created some of the model and photographic displays at the fort. Note that the numerous re-enactor photos do slow downloading, but the uniforms are marvelous and well worth the wait. For your convenience, links with significant download time list the file size: for a 14.4 modem, figure on 1K=1 second, so these can take a few minutes to download each article. Those with faster modems will see reduced download times. We wish to thank Phil for his valuable contribution to MagWeb. After you see this special battlefield tour, be sure to visit the Discussions area to ask questions and trade information. --R.L. Introduction
Old Fort Niagara is located about 15 minutes north of Niagara Falls, New York and a half hour from Buffalo. The Fort sits on a point of land jutting into Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Niagara River. The land on which the fort is situated has been a source of conflict since its first occupation by the French in 1679; which the French called Fort Conti. Since the late 1800's, Fort Niagara has become a source of great interest to both tourists and historians interested in Colonial America. It was this interest that preserved the site. It was through the efforts of the local population and civic leaders, whose appreciation of the site's historic value, spearheaded the restoration and preservation of the fort during the 1920's. The work is still underway by expanding into archeology and continuous restoration of the buildings and surrounding shoreline. The elements have always been a threat to the existence of the Fort more than is often given credit. But none-the-less, the occupation of this strategic historic site at the mouth of the Niagara River for some 272 years has been disputed at various times by the Iroquois Indians, the French, the English, and the Americans. Here is that history; a story you can become a part of by making a simple visit. More Old Fort Niagara
Forts Conti and Denonville (slow: 175K) Siege of Fort Niagara during the French and Indian War (slow: 200K) American Revolution and War of 1812 (slow: 263K) A Brief Tour of the Existing Buildings (75K) Conclusion and Contacts (slow: 187K) Bookstore Buys Re-enactors and Fort George Photos (very slow: 408K) Pre-renovation: 1926 Photos (very slow: 268K) 1909 Postcard of Old Fort Niagara (slow: 165K) Back to List of Battlefields Back to Travel Master List Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines © Copyright 1997 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. |
"I assure you that the House at Niagara will be a House of Peace for you
and your children, as long as you please", Governor Beauharnois assured the
Iroquois Indians on the construction of the stone trading house that now
dominates Historic Fort Niagara in Youngstown , New York. Today that
House of Peace still stands 272 years later, surviving not only the ravages
of war but also the dramatic ravages of nature.