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Old Stone Fort (Schoharie, NY)
Encyclopedia
Located in the village of Schoharie
, Schoharie County
New York
, the Old Stone Fort was originally built as a Reformed Dutch Church in 1772. With the coming of the American Revolutionary War
, the church was enclosed by a log stockade
in 1777.
On October 17, 1780, a force of approximately 800 loyalists
and Native Americans
under Sir John Johnson
and Mohawk
Capt. Joseph Brant
raided the valley and briefly attacked the fort before proceeding north toward the Mohawk Valley
. A cannonball
hole can still be seen in a cornice
at the rear of the building.
The stockade was removed in 1785 and the building continued service as a church until 1844 when it was replaced by the present Reformed Church in the village. In 1857 the former fort was sold to the State of New York for $800. Through the American Civil War
and until 1873, it was used as an armory. Then, it was given to the county for historical use.
In 1888 the Schoharie County Historical Society was formed to operate a museum at the old fort and by 1899, a catalog of 2,500 items was published. The fort is part of the Old Stone Fort Museum complex, which also comprises: the William Badgely Museum and carriage house, built in 1972; the Warner house, a Greek Revival home housing the Scribner Exhibit of 20th Century Communications; the 1830 Jackson law office; the Oliver one-room school house furnished circa 1900; and the Schaeffer-Ingold Dutch barn. Experts on the Dutch Barn include Harold Zoch, who is Schoharie County Historian.
The research library is available to historians and genealogists. The facility is open to the public from May through October. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2002.
Schoharie (village), New York
Schoharie is a village in Schoharie County, New York, USA. The population was 1,030 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Schoharie County...
, Schoharie County
Schoharie County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the Old Stone Fort was originally built as a Reformed Dutch Church in 1772. With the coming of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the church was enclosed by a log stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
in 1777.
On October 17, 1780, a force of approximately 800 loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
and Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
under Sir John Johnson
John Johnson (Loyalist)
Sir John Johnson, 2nd Baronet of New York was a Loyalist leader during the American Revolution, a politician in Canada and a wealthy landowner. He was the son of Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet, who had been the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the province and accumulated much land...
and Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
Capt. Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
raided the valley and briefly attacked the fort before proceeding north toward the Mohawk Valley
Mohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
. A cannonball
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
hole can still be seen in a cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
at the rear of the building.
The stockade was removed in 1785 and the building continued service as a church until 1844 when it was replaced by the present Reformed Church in the village. In 1857 the former fort was sold to the State of New York for $800. Through the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and until 1873, it was used as an armory. Then, it was given to the county for historical use.
In 1888 the Schoharie County Historical Society was formed to operate a museum at the old fort and by 1899, a catalog of 2,500 items was published. The fort is part of the Old Stone Fort Museum complex, which also comprises: the William Badgely Museum and carriage house, built in 1972; the Warner house, a Greek Revival home housing the Scribner Exhibit of 20th Century Communications; the 1830 Jackson law office; the Oliver one-room school house furnished circa 1900; and the Schaeffer-Ingold Dutch barn. Experts on the Dutch Barn include Harold Zoch, who is Schoharie County Historian.
The research library is available to historians and genealogists. The facility is open to the public from May through October. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2002.
External links
- The Old Stone Fort Museum
- Reformed Dutch Church, Schoharie, Schoharie County, NY: 4 photos and 1 data page, at Historic American Building Survey