Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-04-29
TO RESTORE OLD FORT
Ticondec oga to Ee Rebuilt for
Mrs. pell.
Col. X. VI. Thompson VIII spend SJ03,-
900 In Anticipation Of the Cham
plain Trrccnsenary Ccie-
brntiOn.
(From the New York Tslhune)


Because a woman expressed a wish
hat old Fort Tlcoudcroea, on the west
shore of Lake Champaign might he re-
,ured and made to appear exactly as
when. on May 10, ITO Ethan Allen and
lis Green Mountain boys surprised ard
captured it. work has 'ust been begun
which ha, t'iu, end in view.
The woman who expressed the wish
was Mrs stephen IT, p. PEI OF No. 3.
r lst G9th street. Her father, Col. Robert
NJ. Thompson. soii: "V not Have
j. done and send tie n,h o me
The "bill,' It tmdtoa. will amount
TO 100000 and to completely restore the
-ort. rich in memories OF the colonial
period. Will take ten years. The west
hc tracks. in which the surrender was
s'gned, will We restored first. Fortv-fve
Wogkmen are now engaged on that buld-
ing. which. 1t is hoped VIII be ready
Wien President Taft. members Of the
cabinet and other prominent persons
visit Ticonderoga during the celebration
Of the tercentenarv OF Lake Champaign.
which opens on July 4.
THE property on which the fort Is To-
Gated has belonged TO the Pe family for
a century William r. Pel the great
grandfather Of stephen H. 7. pell. the
anker who is the present owner. laid
1t out for country place. and used it
rs such for 30 years.
Mr.. Pell said at his home last night
that he was deeply Interested in attend
!ts to tho details OF the work of restora-
ION OF the historic site. and added that
his family would live at the fort during
the summer season. bcEnnins this year.
M" vito frst suggested tho Testora-
ton" Mr.. Pell continued, land her faith
cr. without hesitation, told her to go
rhcad and he would he glad to stand all
Of the expense Plans have been drawn
nv Alfred G. Bossum, architect. who
has given much study to the subject.
We have been In correspondents with the
French, English and the United States
governments in the preliminary work OF
gathering all kinds Of data to enable us
60 restore all the walls and buildings OF
Fort TiconderoGa exactly rs they we're
during its strenuous years"
1t was said yesterday that the property
when thus improved would hc one If the
finest summer homes on the continent.
as Mr.. Pell owns one Thousand acres q.
That point.
I'VE have recently pulled from the
lotion OF the lake the hulk Of the
Revenge" said Mr. Pel and We are 90
ing 10 keep It in n glass house which I !
shall have made for II. a naval battle
was fought on Lake Champlain in l776. |
when SIR Guy Carleton defeated Benedict |
Arnold. Three Of tho Americans ships |
escaped to Ticondcroca They We're the
Revenge. the Trumbul and the Enter |
prise They We're burned the following !
" r. and sunk directly in front of the
fort. We found in the hulk of the Revenge
cannon balls. bu 'ons. coins. bayonets. !
pike heads, etc, and these we shall keep
on exhibition in the west barracks which !
will be used permanently as n museum
The south and east barracks will be used
rs our country residence"
Mrs. Iell is al present In Europe
The fort was built by the French in
l75j, and was named Fort Carlton (chmc |
Of hels), in allusion to the musical
sound Of the waterfalls near by Several |
Years later the present name was adopted. |
In 1867 Montcalm assembled there force |
of nine thousand men. with which he
took Fort William Henry, on Lake
George. on July &, IT'S. General Aher-
cromhic, with fifteen thousand men |
stormed Fort Carlton. but was repulscd |
I'm 1853 General Amherst, with p force of
twelve thousand men. invested it. and |
the French, being 200 weak to withstand I
snd attack. dsmantled and abandoned
roth this fort and Crown Point. which |
rere then enlarged and strengthened BY
he English. Being weakly garrisoned !
sfter the cession Of Canada to Great
Rritain, Ticonderoga was surprised and |
captured on May 10. l775, by Ethan Allen.
After the war the fort gradually fell
into ruins,