Old Fort House is a historic house at 29 Lower Broadway in Fort Edward,

Washington County, New York Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 61,302. The county seat is Fort Edward. The county was named for U.S. President George Washington. Washington County is part of the Glen ...

. The house is owned by the Fort Edward Historical Association and operated as a local history museum. ''See also:'' The Old Fort House was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1983.

History

Revolutionary War

The Old Fort House is a two-story, five bay, center hall frame building, with a shallow gambrel roof. It is one of the oldest wooden frame structures in Northern New York and was built in 1772 by Patrick Smyth from timbers salvaged from Fort Edward. Major General

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 18, 1804) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler. Born in Alba ...

inspected the old fort during the Saratoga Campaign five years later, and determined that it was in no condition as a place to make a stand against General

John Burgoyne General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several batt ...

, and consequently sought a location farther south. Schuyler placed

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

in command of the army's advance guards at Fort Edward. Arnold arrested Smythe for being a

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

. Baroness

Frederika Charlotte Riedesel Frederika Charlotte Louise von Massow, Baroness (Freifrau) Riedesel zu Eisenbach (1746-1808) was a German writer. She was the wife of General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel of Brunswick. She accompanied him during the Saratoga Campaign in the American ...

, accompanied her husband, General

Friedrich Adolf Riedesel Freiherr Friedrich Adolf Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach (3 June 1738 in Lauterbach/Hesse – 6 January 1800 in Braunschweig) was a German officer who served in the Seven Years' War and American War of Independence. He was the commander of ...

, who led a regiment of soldiers from the Duchy of Brunswick, attached to Burgoyne's army. In her memoirs, she describes the Old Fort House as "the Red House". The house was used as headquarters by both the British and American during the Revolutionary War. It also played host to various notables such as

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

Solomon Northup

Between 1830 and 1834 Solomon and Anne Hampton Northup lived in Fort Edward and

Kingsbury Kingsbury may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Kingsbury, London, a district of northwest London in the borough of Brent ** Kingsbury tube station, London Underground station * Kingsbury, Warwickshire, a village and civil parish in Warwickshi ...

. The couple first set up housekeeping in the Old Fort House, which is described in his memoir, ''

Twelve Years a Slave ''Twelve Years a Slave'' is an 1853 memoir and slave narrative by American Solomon Northup as told to and written by David Wilson. Northup, a black man who was born free in New York state, details himself being tricked to go to Washington, D.C., ...

'', as "the old yellow building"."Old Fort House Museum", ''I Love NY'', New York State Department of Economic Development
/ref> Northup's memoir was adapted as the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

television movie ''

Solomon Northup's Odyssey ''Solomon Northup's Odyssey'', reissued as ''Half Slave, Half Free'', is a 1984 American television film based on the 1853 autobiography ''Twelve Years a Slave'' by Solomon Northup, a free black man who in 1841 was kidnapped and sold into slavery. ...

'' (1984) and the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-winning film '' 12 Years a Slave'' (2013). The building suffered severe fire damage in 1943.

Museum

The Old Fort House is part of a 17 building museum complex with 5 structures; the Old Fort House Museum, A. Dallas Wait Law Office, Cronkhite Pavilion, Riverside Schoolhouse and Baldwin Barn Gallery open for tours daily in the summer months. It was listed as one of the best house museums in Northeastern New York and New England by author William Hosley. Each summer the Museum hosts an Annual Country Fair & Antiques Auction.

References

External links

Old Fort House Museum
{{Solomon Northup Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Federal architecture in New York (state) Historic house museums in New York (state) Houses completed in 1772 Houses in Washington County, New York Museums in Washington County, New York Historical society museums in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, New York