Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

We had tried to visit Fort George two days earlier but were greeted with torrential rain while still in the parking lot. See: Lots of rain!.

According to the government placard at the site, Fort George was constructed by order of Lieutenant Governor Simcoe (1796 – 1799). Fort George then served as the headquarters for Major-General Brock in 1812. In May, 1813, it was bombarded and captured by the Americans who constructed fortifications of their own on the site. These in turn were retaken by the British in December, 1813. In 1815, Fort George was described as “tumbling into ruins” and ordered abandoned. The present works are a reconstruction done in 1937 -1940, and represent the fort as it was in 1799-1833. Only the magazine of the original fort remains.

The protect the black powder and other explosive materials, the magazine was partially below ground level, had extra thick walls and was further protected by an earthen berm.

Each fort had to be self-sufficient as possible so had blacksmiths and carpenters available to effect repairs and care for the equipment.

Fort George is now maintained as a national historical site Parks Canada and each day visitors get a re-enactment of military activities as they would once have occurred within the walls of the fort.