Date: May 22, 2017
Contact: William Sawyer, 315-338-7730
Rome, NY – On Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28, Fort Stanwix National Monument will host the annual French and Indian War Weekend. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the history and activities of the British and French units encamped at the fort. Events will include military drills, weapons demonstrations, and daily fort life activities. Children will have the opportunity to play 18th Century games as well as try various other hands on activities.
Featured during this year’s encampment is The Fort Bull Research Group, who will be offering informal discussions about the Fort Bull site in the park’s visitor center on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday at 1 p.m. in the reconstructed fort, the research group will present a formal program on the history of Fort Bull. On Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rome Historical Society, living historian Steven Perkins will be offering the program and discussion “French Raids of the Mohawk Valley.” Mr. Perkins specializes in French colonial history.
The original Fort Stanwix was built during the French & Indian War, a struggle for control of North America between the British and the French. Throughout this conflict, Fort Stanwix protected the Mohawk Valley corridor and the gates to the original 13 Colonies. “This is the only event to focus solely on the British occupation of the fort, and there’s always plenty to do for both families and history enthusiasts alike,” said Park Ranger William Sawyer, “We welcome all to view the fort through the eyes of the original builders and step back in time to the 1750s.”
On Saturday, events will run from 9:15 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., with Mr. Perkin’s presentation at 7 p.m. at the Rome Historical Society – Friends of the Fort. On Sunday, programs take place from 9:15 a.m. until 1 p.m. All programs are free.
Fort Stanwix National Monument is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the park is free. For more information about upcoming events, please call the park at (315) 338-7730. Visit the park’s web page at www.nps.gov/fost, or follow Fort Stanwix on Facebook or Instagram, for additional information about the park and up-to-date news about park events. Fort Stanwix is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about national parks, visit www.nps.gov.
- NPS -
