I think the last time I was at this fort was when I was not long after I'd graduated high school. The restoration process was at a much-earlier stage than it was now, and I was glad to see how it had progressed. Overlooking beautiful Lake Champlain, this fort dates back to the French & Indian War (1750's) and saw use during the American War of Independence. In fact Colonial forces captured the Fort from the British in 1775 by none other than Benedict Arnold. It was recaptured by the British in 1777, but they abandoned it the same year after the British defeat at Saratoga. After the war, it was no longer of any military importance, and fell into ruins. It was never utilized during the War of 1812.
Fort Ticonderoga was "America's Ruins," in the same way Europe had the ancient structures remaining from Roman occupation and such. Of course, the time scale between those things would be vastly different, but it was a point of American pride. The Fort was purchased by a private party in 1820, who turned it into a tourist attraction, but any attempts to restore it wouldn't begin for more than a century.
There was so much to see in the Fort, and a pictorial can't capture it all. Many places are still blocked off as restoration is still in progress, but those open to the public show museum-quality exhibits of artifacts of the time period. One part which I found a nice touch was a display to the World War Two-era aircraft carrier which proudly carried the name of this Fort.
After doing our tour in the Fort, we did the short drive up Mount Defiance which overlooks the area. In 1777 British troops occupied the high ground, aimed a few cannons at the Fort, and made some good shows of force. The British never truly sieged the Fort from here, as the Colonial forces withdrew. The height of Mount Defiance only reaches to slightly over 850 feet, which gives an excellent view of Lake Champlain and the surrounding areas.
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