Adirondack Daily Enterprise / Adirondack Vacation Guide • Summer/Fall 2022
Adirondack Coast Region
50
Self-guided historic driving tour Champlain Valley
If you want to take a road trip that is relaxing, fun and educational, try this self-guided historic driving tour through the Lake Champlain Valley. Start at one end, and go to the other. Or just pick one or two villages and spend some time there. The quaint communities along Lake Champlain offer stunning views of Vermont and establishments where you can grab a take-out meal for a picnic. This is the bread basket of Essex County, where agriculture is making a comeback with many small, family farms. It’s easy to find a farm-to-fork experience. There’s a lot of history here, much more than we can squeeze into this guide. For more information and itinerary ideas, visit Lakes to Locks Passage: New York’s Great Northeast Journey, 518-597-9660, www.lakestolocks.org. Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga: 102 Fort Ti Road, 518-5852821, www.fortticonderoga.org. Fort Ticonderoga was built by the French from 1755 to 1759 during the French and Indian War and called Fort Carillon. On July 8, 1758, it was successfully defended by French forces despite overwhelming British forces. The following year, the British defeated the French here. On May 10, 1775 during the Revolutionary War, Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and the Green Mountain Boys surprised the sleeping garrison at dawn and overwhelmed them, making Fort Ticonderoga America’s first victory of the war. Mount Defiance: This small mountain is owned by Fort Ticonderoga and has a toll road to its historic summit. Entry is included with admission to the fort or can be purchased separately at the base of the mountain. Get a view of the fort on Lake Champlain and enjoy a picnic at the summit. Directions: In Ticonderoga, head south on Route 9N and turn left on Montcalm Street in 0.75 mile, then turn right on Champlain Avenue in 0.6 mile. Follow Champlain Avenue for a short distance, turn left on Defiance Street, and look for the toll road on the right.
Fort Ticonderoga
(Provided photo — Andy Flynn)
Historical sign at Ironville
(Provided photo — Andy Flynn)
Ticonderoga Heritage Museum: 137 Montcalm St., 518-585-2696, www.ticonderogaheritagemuseum.org. Learn about Ticonderoga’s industrial industry in this building that dates to 1888. It is the last remaining structure of the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company. Hancock House: 6 Moses Circle, 518-585-7868, www.tihistory.org. This Georgian Revival style mansion is an exact replica of Thomas Hancock’s (John Hancock’s uncle) former Beacon Hill home in Boston. Originally built in 1925-1926 by philanthropist Horace A. Moses for the New York Historical Association, it now serves as the home of the Ticonderoga Historical Society as a regional museum and reference library. Self-guided walking tour of Ticonderoga: www.aarch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ticonderoga.pdf
Ironville The Ironville Historic District is a national historic district located southwest of Crown Point. It is known as the “Birthplace of the Electrical Age,” as Allen Penfield, Timothy Taft and Allen P. Harwood pioneered the first industrial use of electricity in their iron works below the pond south of the district. The district includes 12 buildings, including the Penfield Homestead Museum, built in the 1820s, 703 Creek Road, Crown Point, 518-597-3804, www.penfieldmuseum.org. Ironville gets its name from the iron-mining operations of the 19th century. During the Civil War, iron from ore mined here was used to build the U.S. ironclad ship Monitor, which battled the Confederate ironclad ship Merrimack at the Battle of Hampton Roads. The Monitor’s iron was mined in Hammondville, separated in Ironville, processed in Crown Point and shipped by railroad along Lake Champlain. Self-guided walking tour of Ironville: www. aarch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ironville.pdf
Continued on Page 51
