Category: Ticonderoga

Children learn about “Flying Friends” at Fort Ticonderoga’s King’s Garden. Photo Credit Fort Ticonderoga.

Fort Ticonderoga recently received a grant from the Stewart’s Foundation supporting new King’s Garden programs in 2012.

The walled King’s Garden was originally designed in 1921 by leading landscape architect Marian Coffin. The formal elements – a reflecting pool, manicured lawn and hedges, and brick walls and walkways – are softened by a profusion of annuals and perennials, carefully arranged by color and form. Heirloom flowers and modern cultivars are used to recreate the historic planting scheme. Visitor favorites include the lavender border, towering hollyhocks, bearded irises, dinner plate dahlias and many types of phlox.

Outside of the nine-foot brick walls of the colonial revival King’s Garden, the Discovery Gardens include a children’s garden, military vegetable garden, and Three Sisters Garden. The restored Lord and Burnham greenhouse, charming gazebo, sweeping lawns and shady picnic spots invite visitors to explore the landscape at one of America’s oldest gardens dating to the French occupation of the Fort in the mid-18th century.

The new program will encourage young visitors to learn about different vegetables, flowers and insects. The funds will specifically support the development of four new themed areas within the Children’s Garden including Flying Friends, a garden bed devoted to attracting pollinators; Vegetable Maze, a non-traditional free-form vegetable area; Edible Petals Patch, a garden devoted to plants with edible flowers; and Onion Island, a garden bed devoted to the onion genus. The Children’s Garden, located in the stunning King’s Garden at Fort Ticonderoga, offers a wonderful opportunity for families to explore beauty and nature at one of America’s oldest and most significant historic sites.

The King’s Garden is open June 1 through October 8 and offers a wide variety of horticulture programs throughout the season.

Longtime Ticonderoga resident, Anne B. McDonald, was recently named to the Fort Ticonderoga Association Board of Trustees.

The Fort Ticonderoga Association named Anne B. McDonald to the Board of Trustees at its recent Board meeting held in New York City on March 2. “I’m thrilled to welcome Anne McDonald to the Board of Trustees. With her longstanding support to Fort Ticonderoga and deep ties to the Ticonderoga community and the North Country as a whole, she will add strength and wisdom to the Board,” said Peter Paine, President of the Board of Trustees of the Fort Ticonderoga Association.

“I am honored and excited at being elected a Trustee of the Fort Ticonderoga Association,” said new Trustee Anne McDonald. “I look forward to working with the local community and in helping to continue the preservation and expansion of this national resource”

A former elementary school teacher, Anne McDonald is a life-long resident of Ticonderoga. She holds an undergraduate degree from Russell Sage College, Troy, New York, and completed master level work at State University at Plattsburgh, New York. McDonald is very active in regional professional, political, civic organizations and has served as the Chairperson for the Essex County Republican Committee and President of the Heritage Museum Board of Directors in Ticonderoga. She is currently a member of the North Country Community College Foundation Board.

“Anne’s passion for Fort Ticonderoga’s mission and community connection to Ticonderoga make her an ideal addition to the Board,” said Beth Hill, Executive Director of Fort Ticonderoga. “She has been a valued advisor and I look forward to her leadership as Fort Ticonderoga achieves its vision to be the premier military historic site and museum in North America.”

The Fort Ticonderoga Association is the not-for-profit educational and cultural organization whose mission is to ensure that present and future generations learn from the struggles, sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed world history. Serving the public since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors annually and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Fort Ticonderoga’s history. The historic site and museum includes the restored fort, museum galleries, approximately two-thousand acres of land including Carillon Battlefield, Mount Defiance, the northern end of Mount Independence, and the King’s Garden. Fort Ticonderoga is home to one of America’s largest collections of 18th-century military material culture and its research library contains nearly 14,000 published works focusing on the military history of northeastern North America and New France during the 18th century. philanthropic support by individuals, corporations, and foundations benefits the educational mission of Fort Ticonderoga.

Some Cub Scouts enjoy a visit to Fort Ticonderoga in 2011.

Fort Ticonderoga unveiled a new program specifically designed for visiting Cub Scout and Boy Scout groups during the 2012 season. In “Planting the Tree of Liberty: the Beginnings of the Continental Army at Fort Ticonderoga,” scouts participate in a program based on the daily routine of soldiers at the Fort in the weeks following its capture from the British by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold in the spring and early summer of 1775.

During the two-and-a-half-hour program, scouts form a platoon of soldiers and go through a typical soldier’s day at the Fort. In addition to learning about what soldiers ate and where they slept, scouts will take part in fatigue duty (work details) alongside the Fort’s interpretive staff, witness a musket demonstration, be drilled in formation tactics, and help build a brush shelter, using tools under supervision. The immersive program helps build teamwork skills while developing an appreciation for what it was like to be a soldier at Fort Ticonderoga over 235 years ago.

“Visiting scout groups account for a significant portion of our annual group visits,” noted Director of Education Rich Strum. “This new program meets a need for a more in-depth opportunity for scouts during their Fort Ticonderoga experience.”

This program is available by advance reservation most days during the 2012 season (May 18-October 18) and by special arrangement other times of the year. For more information, visit www.fort-ticonderoga.org and select “Scouting” on the “Explore and Learn” menu tab.

View of the Fort Ticonderoga. Carl Heilman photo.

The Fort Ticonderoga Association, a private non-profit organization, recorded increased donations in 2011. The Fort Ticonderoga Fund, the annual giving program, raised $600,327 in 2011, a 12% increase from 2010. The number of donors also increased in 2011 by 14%. Established in 2011, the Fort Ticonderoga Fund marked the first time the organization had a structured annual giving program that supported its general operations. The 2011 Fort Ticonderoga Fund was co-chaired by Sandy Morhouse of Ticonderoga, NY and Kitty Pell of Boston, MA.

Peter Paine, Fort Ticonderoga Association President, said the establishment of the Fort Ticonderoga Fund was a significant new strategy for the organization which depends heavily on the generosity of its donors. “Trustee giving led the way, both in a total commitment which increased 15% in 2011, and by making pledges early in the drive, permitting us to announce a “nucleus fund” over $300,000 at the Fort’s Midsummer Gala in July.”

The Fort Ticonderoga Fund included The “Fort-ifier” program which enlisted and deployed a committee of 21 local volunteers and Fort advocates. This group made an important impact on the success of the campaign. “Fort-ifier” Committee Co-Chair Anne McDonald of Ticonderoga said “This group made an important impact on the success of the campaign. Volunteers personally contacted over 100 prospects in the community and secured 87 commitments totaling $32,745.”

Fort Ticonderoga’s key operating results for 2011 show a successful year. The results were achieved in the midst of expected challenges including a severe winter, significant flooding in the Lake Champlain region in the spring, and a hurricane in the late summer which devastated the entire region. In spite of these challenges and a national downward visitation trend at historic sites, visitation to Fort Ticonderoga remained flat for 2011 at 70,378 visitors.

Beth Hill, Fort Ticonderoga Executive Director, said “While there were significant challenges to overcome in 2011, I am very pleased by Fort Ticonderoga’s results as they show that Fort Ticonderoga’s compelling mission is resonating with our supporters. In addition, site-specific and unique interpretive programs, the new internationally acclaimed Art of War exhibit, and a strong marketing strategic plan which highlighted the new America’s Fort brand, repositioned Fort Ticonderoga as a national must-see destination.”

“We are especially grateful to the staff and the greater Ticonderoga community who contributed to Fort Ticonderoga last year,” said Sandy Morhouse, Vice President of the Fort Ticonderoga Association and Fort Ticonderoga Fund Co-Chair. “Our donors responded generously in 2011 and increased their giving at a time when there is intensified competition for charitable dollars and the condition of the economy has challenged our supporters.”

English turn-off barrel pistol by London Gun Maker John Easterby, 1724-1731. From the Grafton H. and Barbara W. Cook Collection, Fort Ticonderoga Museum.

Fort Ticonderoga’s new winter series of programs continues on Sunday, February 12, at 2 pm, with “The Roar of Musketry and Cracking of Rifles: An Introduction to Weapons of the 18th Century” presented by Curator of Collections Chris Fox. The cost is $10 per person and will be collected at the door; free for members of the Friends of Fort Ticonderoga.

Spend time with Fort Ticonderoga’s Curator of Collections Chris Fox examining a variety of 18th-century muskets, pistols, and swords used by the French, British and American armies during the French & Indian War and American Revolution. In this unique session, participants will have the opportunity to handle these rare objects and gain an appreciation of their beauty and practical functionality that can only be realized by the physical handling of these weapons.

The program takes place in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center at Fort Ticonderoga. Doors open at 1:30 pm for the program.

Speaker Henry Cooke (left) and Curator of Collections Chris Fox (right) examine an original 18th-century coat during a “Material Matters” session last winter. This year’s program is scheduled for January 28 & 29, 2012.

Fort Ticonderoga will host its Second Annual “Material Matters: It’s in the Details” Seminar the weekend of January 28 & 29, 2012. This weekend event focuses on the material culture of the 18th century and is intended for collectors, re-enactors, and people with a general interest in learning more about objects of the 18th century and what they can tell us about history. “Material Matters” takes place in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center at Fort Ticonderoga and is open by pre-registration only.

A panel of material culture experts from the United States and Canada come to Fort Ticonderoga for the weekend to share their knowledge of 18th-century material culture in a series of presentations. Designed for those who want a deeper understanding of the everyday objects that help tell the story of life and the contests for control of North America during the 18th century, the weekend’s informal approach enables attendees to interact with presenters and provides an opportunity to examine 18th-century objects up close.

Fort Ticonderoga’s Curator of Collections Chris Fox will discuss the archeological remains of clothing and sewing-related artifacts in the Fort’s collection found during the Fort’s restoration in the early 20th century.

Joel Anderson, Artificer Program Supervisor at Fort Ticonderoga, will discuss the challenges of supplying the Northern Department of the Continental Army during the year 1776.

Matthew Keagle, a scholar of 18th-century Atlantic material culture, will talk about grenadier caps used by various 18th-century armies and their cultural significance.

David Ledoyen, a heritage presentation coordinator from Montreal, will explore 18th-century surgeons’ instruments and the evolution of surgeons as a profession in New France.

Stuart Lilie, Director of Interpretation at Fort Ticonderoga, will discuss equestrian saddlery and horse furniture. Lilie is a saddler specializing in 18th- and early 19th-century saddlery.

Sarah Woodyard, an apprentice in millinery at Colonial Williamsburg, will talk about 18th-century undergarments.

Registration for “Material Matters” is now open. A brochure with the complete schedule and a registration form is available on Fort Ticonderoga’s website at www.fort-ticonderoga.org by selecting “Explore and Learn” and choosing “Life Long Learning” on the drop-down menu. A printed copy is also available upon request by contacting Rich Strum, Director of Education, at 518-585-6370. The cost for the weekend is $120 ($100 for members of the Friends of Fort Ticonderoga).