What Connects Us to History?
Two words, perhaps an idea, that comes up frequently with visitors is “my history” as in this Fort, or its history is, “my history.” While this idea of a personal connection to Fort Ticonderoga’s history seems relatively simple to define, it is not a simple concept. A personal connection to history could be defined by any number of […]
Preserving Amos Chaffee’s Memory
On July 7, 2012 Fort Ticonderoga received a remarkable donation. For over two centuries the Chaffee family has preserved their ancestor, Amos Chaffee’s, engraved powder horn, musket and walking stick. Now the family is entrusting the Fort Ticonderoga Association to preserve their family’s Revolutionary War objects for future generations. Amos Chaffee served at Fort Ticonderoga […]
The Many Faces of 1775
The classic image of those citizen soldiers who stood up to the British redcoats on Lexington green or at the old French fort of is in a word, white. The reality of those colonial militia and regulars was far more diverse. As we explore the Connecticut colonial regulars who garrisoned Fort Ticonderoga in the summer […]
Stephen H.P. Pell and World War I
Fort Ticonderoga Museum founder, Stephen Hyatt Pelham Pell (1874-1950) served two nations in World War I. In early 1917, prior to the United States’ involvement in the war, Stephen Pell enlisted in the Norton Harjes Ambulance Service attached to the Chasseurs Alpins achieving the rank of sergeant. On October 2, at Baccaret, France, after lying […]
Camping This Summer? Buy Wood Locally to Protect the Environment
It seems with increasing frequency we are hearing reports about invasive species and the effect they have on natural ecosystems. Where there is human activity, invasives are likely to be found. Fort Ticonderoga is no exception and has its share of invasive exotics such as shrubby honeysuckle and garlic mustard. Once sought-after garden plants, their […]
Installing “Bullets & Blades”
The installation of a new exhibit is a large task. A previous blog has highlighted the work the museum has done to clean and prepare the weapons for exhibit. That is only one small part of the exhibition construction process. Many weeks were spent constructing mounts for the objects. Because each object is different, it […]
Benedict Arnold, Independence, & Independent Companies
Both famous and infamous, Benedict Arnold first made his name leading the Green Mountain Boys through the gates of Ticonderogaalong side Ethan Allen. That is easy enough to picture, but it begs the question, “What was he wearing in the early hours of May 10 1775?” Most New England militia units were un-uniformed in the […]
In Search of Historic Plants
Creating a garden or recreating an historic garden is a constantly evolving process. Since restoration of the King’s Garden began in 1995, careful research has guided the garden’s curators to restore it as closely as possible to designer Marian Coffin’s Colonial revival-era scheme. Over 100 annuals and perennials are listed on Coffin’s plan which is […]
Portraying a Citizen Army: Clothing Rabble in Arms
The April 26, 1775 Connecticut Assembly Resolves that raised an army for war required that every man bring their own clothing and equipment from home stating: And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That a premium of Fifty-Two Shillings per man shall be advanced and paid to each non-commissioned Officer and inhabitant upon […]
Construction Details of a Small Sword
While cleaning weapons in preparation for the new upcoming exhibit Bullets & Blades: The Weapons of America’s Colonial War and Revolution, we had the rare opportunity to completely disassemble an American small sword; a sword made by the Boston, Massachusetts silversmith William Cowell, Jr. (1713-1761), ca. 1740-1760. (The pommel of the sword was loose and […]