New federal grant to help repair historic Fort Ticonderoga in New York

TICONDEROGA, N.Y. (WCAX) - At Fort Ticonderoga in New York's North Country, crumbling stone walls are the target of new federal funding. The fort was the site of the nation's first Revolutionary War victory.

"Preserving the fort and the 250th anniversary, well they kind of go hand in hand," said Cameron Green, the director of interpretation at Fort Ticonderoga.

Ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026, Green says the ongoing preservation efforts at the fort, which started in the early 19th century, have allowed them to immerse visitors in the revolutionary era.

"Allow us to show how soldiers and their families lived here at Fort Ticonderoga in 1774 this year and the years following," Green said.

Green says they are currently depicting life as it was in 1774, but after almost 250 years, the fort is in need of some repairs.

"The responsibility for us to invest in the historic, to make sure it is here for present and future generations is really critical," said Beth Hill, the president and CEO of Fort Ticonderoga.

Hill says a new federal grant for roughly $750,000 will help them repair portions of the south bastion wall.

"We are really dealing with water issues and stabilization issues. To help restore that total in projects is about a $20 million project, so we are phasing that out year upon year," Hill said.

A neverending mission to ensure a historic piece of our country's founding remains here for the next 250 years.

"Our duty here at Fort Ticonderoga is in equal stewardship and education, educating folks now so that they can influence what future generations can learn about this place, but also simply preserving Fort Ticonderoga, our posterity, generations long after us can continue this mission forward," said Stuart Lilie, the vice president of public history at Fort Ticonderoga.

Hill says they expect construction to last until 2027.