Fort Lennox

Fort Lennox occupies most of Île aux Noix, an island in the middle of the Richelieu River in the parish of Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix, Quebec, near the Canada-U.S. border. The fort features restored defence works and stonework buildings, and is surrounded by a star-shaped moat.

Fort Lennox
Île aux Noix, Quebec, Canada
Painting of Fort Lennox, 1886, by Henry Richard S. Bunnett
Site history
Built1819–1829
Battles/warsSeven Years' War, American Revolutionary War
Official nameFort Lennox National Historic Site of Canada
Designated1920

Fort Lennox was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1920.[1]

History
Enlisted men's quarters
Plaque at the entrance of Fort Lennox

Built by the British between 1819 and 1829,[2] the fort was designed to protect the colony from possible American invasion. The fort was named after Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, who died in 1819 and was Governor General of British North America. An earlier 1760s fort on the same site was originally built by the French during the Seven Years' War.

On 28 June 1985 Canada Post issued 'Fort Lennox, Que.' one of the 20 stamps in the "Forts Across Canada Series" (1983 & 1985). The stamps are perforated 12½ x 13 and were printed by Ashton-Potter Limited based on the designs by Rolf P. Harder. [3]

Museum

Visitors can tour the 1820s period officers' quarters. The north magazine features an exhibit about military engineering and restoration work carried out at the fort.

Guided tours are given of the grounds and buildings, which include an ordnance magazine and artillery magazine, a guardhouse, officers' quarters, barracks and casemates. During summer weekends, living history demonstrations focus on fort life in the mid 19th century.

Entry

Admission to the site includes the ferry ride to the island. The parking lot and visitor reception area are located on the west shore of the river. Boaters can visit the island directly and pay a separate fee to enter the fort.

References
  1. Fort Lennox. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  2. http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/qc/lennox/natcul/natcul2/e.aspx
  3. Canada Post issued 'Fort Lennox, Que.'
  • Parks Canada, Fort Lennox National Historic Site brochure, 2005.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.