• large wooden spikes jut out from a large wooden angular wall lit by sunlight. verdant grass surrounds it.

    Fort Stanwix

    National Monument New York

Special Programs Mark the End of Siege at Fort Stanwix

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Date: August 18, 2011
Contact: Valerie Morgan, 315-336-4448

Tuesday, August 23 marks the 234th anniversary of the end of the British siege on Fort Stanwix in 1777. Fort Stanwix National Monument will host special programs which highlight the fort's importance in America's fight for independence and its critical role in changing world history.

Events Include:

10 a.m.- Children's Program: Cookies, Bubble Gum, and the Siege of Fort Schuyler
What do snacks have to do with the siege?To find out, meet in the fort's parade ground for a 30-minute interactive program designed just for children ages 5-12.

10:30 a.m.- Behind the Scenes Tour of the Willett Center Collections
Learn from museum curators about what it means to preserve and protect the archeological resources found at Fort Stanwix. This tour is 30 minutes long, is limited to 8 people, and is open for ages 16 and up.

1:30 p.m.- Captain Lieutenant Savage's Team: The Role of Artillery during the Siege
Discover the importance of teamwork in defending the fort against the British.

3 p.m.- Fort Tour: Huzzah! The Siege Ends
The enemy has retreated, but what does that mean?During this 30-minute tour of the fort, learn how the siege affected the garrison and influenced a major change in world history.

4:15 p.m. - The British Retreat
Meet at the fort for a 15-minute program highlighting the end of the siege from the British point-of-view and learn what happened to St. Leger's troops after their retreat.

In addition to the scheduled programs, a self-guided Family Fun at the Fort "Siege Scavenger Hunt" will be available at the Willett Center Information Desk upon request from 9:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Fort Stanwix National Monument is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission to the park is free. Activities are ongoing unless noted. For more information about upcoming events please call the park at (315) 338-7730.Please visit the park's web page at www.nps.gov/fost for additional information about the park and up-to-date news about park events.

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Did You Know?

tents with white walls surround grass and wooden walls twice as tall

Fort Stanwix has two names. Named for Gen. John Stanwix, this was the fort's name under the British. When rebuilt by the Americans, it was then named for Gen. Phillip Schuyler. However, there were several other Fort Schuylers in New York at that time, so the name never stuck due to the confusion.