Fort Stanwix: A Revolutionary War Turning Point
We took an afternoon to drive over to Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome, NY (map ). Fort Stanwix is the name given to this fort by the British when it was built in 1758. British forces vacated the fort after the end of the French and Indian war and the fort fell into disrepair. During the American Revolution, the Continental Army rehabilitated the fort (1777) because of its location between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek.
This particular parcel of land had been used for thousands of years by indigenous tribes as a trade route east to west. Wood Creek flows down to Lake Oneida and eventually into Lake Ontario, which allows for portage west throughout all five Great Lakes.
Fort Stanwix successfully held against a prolonged British siege in August 1777, only four months after the order of rehabilitation was written! This defeat, along with more at battles nearby, was a major turning point in the Revolutionary War.
The fort was recreated by the National Park System on its original site in 1976 as part of the American bicentennial celebration. You can still see a small amount of original stone work from a fireplace in the original fort. Sadly, this recreated fort is in need of repairs which don’t seem to be happening. A decent part of the fort is closed off and inaccessible to the public.
During our time here we learned a lot about what it takes to rebuild a fort, the Revolutionary War, and New York’s part in helping create our county. We enjoyed the visit to this park!
