The Fort William Henry Museum in Lake George Village is now open for the season. A reproduction of the fortification that was constructed after Sir William Johnson defeated the French at the Battle of Lake George in 1755, it is the site of the famous massacre that inspired James Fenimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans and its many screen adaptations.
Fort William Henry would become, in the words of Cooper, “a scene of strife and bloodshed.”
Two years after the original fort was constructed, the French forces and their indigenous allies seized it in August 1757.
After enduring a siege that lasted six days, the British surrendered to the Marquis de Montcalm on the condition that they be allowed to march out with the honors of war – flags, arms, but no ammunition.
Montcalm agreed to escort the garrison to Fort Edward. The wounded were to remain at Fort William Henry until they were able to travel.
Somewhere between Lake George and Halfway Brook, the soldiers, along with women and children, were attacked by Native allies of the French. It has been estimated that anywhere from 200 to 1,500 people were killed that day, and that at least 200 people were taken to Canada as captives.
New Exhibits for 2023
268 years later, Fort William Henry invites its visitors to “Step back in time,” even before the massacre, to 1755, “when Lake George was still a wild frontier and the American Revolution still two decades in the future. British soldiers and their allies were busy building a Fort at the southern end of Lake George from which they could launch attacks on the French who were seeking to occupy what is now Northern New York and protect the important inland waterways linking Montreal and New York City.”
“We are excited to welcome summer back to Lake George with a daily schedule of tours and demonstrations,” says Kathryn Flacke-Muncil, CEO of the Fort
William Henry Corp. “We invite everyone to visit the Fort and learn how the seeds of the American Revolution were planted during the French and Indian War.”
For nearly two centuries after the siege of Fort William Henry, its remains lay in ruins. A group of business leaders – Muncil’s grandfather, Babe McEnaney among
them – intent on preserving local history, commissioned a replica in 1952. The site was excavated, and the fort reconstructed using the original plans and within its original footprint.
During the 1950s there were several excavations of the fort’s grounds directed by archaeologist Stanley Gifford. According to historian Joseph W. Zarzynski, archaeological fieldwork in August 1957 uncovered, among many other things, six skeletons, casualties of the 1757 siege.
Today, visitors to the Fort William Henry Museum are greeted by entertaining, knowledgeable guides dressed to represent the various soldiers stationed at the garrison in 1755. The guided tour begins with exploring the museum’s main exhibits, covering the European contact and the pivotal battles that took place in Lake George.
Tours include weaponry demonstrations such as a musket-firing and Living History stations where visitors can watch a carpenter and seamstress/tailor at work. The Sutler Shop is one of the biggest gift shops in Lake George.
A calendar of special events is planned for this summer, including the unveiling of a refreshed exhibit explaining indigenous life in the area in the mid-18th century, a series of book signings and a re-enactment of the Battle of Lake George in September.
The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Haunted history tours are Friday and Saturday evenings, starting with a family-friendly tour at 6 p.m. followed by tours for hardier souls at 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
Tickets are available at fwh.museum.com or by calling 518-668-5471.
Photos, from above: aerial view of Fort William Henry by Carl Heilman II; and Living History station at Fort William Henry.
A version of this article first appeared on the Lake George Mirror, America’s oldest resort paper, covering Lake George and its surrounding environs. You can subscribe to the Mirror HERE.
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