Crown Point is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in Essex County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States, located on the west shore of

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/ Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type ...

. The population was 2,024 at the 2010 census. The name of the town is a direct translation of the original French name, . The town is on the eastern edge of Essex County. It is southwest of

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

, northeast of Queensbury, south of

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

and north of Albany.

History

Two European forts were built by colonists because of its strategic location at the narrows of Lake Champlain. The forts preceded organization of the town by more than half a century: first was

Fort Saint-Frédéric Fort Saint-Frédéric was a French fort built on Lake Champlain to secure the region against British colonization and control the lake. It was located in modern New York State across the lake from modern Vermont at the town of Crown Point, New Yo ...

built by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

in 1731, who came to this area from their colonial settlements to the north at Quebec and Montreal. They competed with the British for the fur trade with Native Americans in the area. During the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...

(known as the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

in North America), the British gained control of this area. Before that, the French retreated and destroyed their fort to keep it out of the hands of the British. The latter built

Fort Crown Point Fort Crown Point was built by the combined efforts of both British and provincial troops (from New York and the New England Colonies) in North America in 1759 at a narrows on Lake Champlain on what later became the border between New York and Vermo ...

in 1759, then the largest earthen fort in their colonies. With British victory in the war, after 1763 France ceded all its territory in North America east of the Mississippi River to Britain. During colonial times and the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, the fort at Crown Point continued to be important for its strategic location – on the west shore of

about north of

Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain, in northern New York, in the United States. It was constructed by Canadian-born French milit ...

, about a day's travel by the modes of that time period. After the failure of the patriot American invasion of Canada in 1776, Fort Crown Point represented the northernmost area under American control. During the British

Saratoga campaign The Saratoga campaign in 1777 was an attempt by the British high command for North America to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley during the American Revolutionary War. It ended in the surrender of the British ...

in 1777, 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 bat ...

organized a supply magazine here to support his Siege of Ticonderoga. The town of Crown Point, located a few miles south of the 1759 Fort, is an original town of the county, established in 1788 following the Revolution and before the organization of Essex County. Parts of Crown Point were later drawn off to form the town of Elizabethtown (1798). The modern European-American settlement of the town began around 1800 with an influx of settlers from

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

. Crown Point holds the New York state January record low of .

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 6.99%, is water. The eastern town line, defined by Lake Champlain, is the border of

( Addison County). The Champlain Bridge (Route 17) connected Crown Point to Vermont until 2009, when the bridge was demolished as unsafe. A temporary ferry service, operated by the

Lake Champlain Transportation Company The Lake Champlain Transportation Company (LCTC or LCT) is a vehicle ferry operator that runs three routes across Lake Champlain between the US states of New York and Vermont. From 1976 to 2003, the company was owned by Burlington, Vermont, bus ...

and funded by the states of New York and Vermont, provided access from Crown Point to Vermont from late 2009 until late 2011. The new bridge at Crown Point, scheduled to open in August 2011,Essex County, NY Board of Supervisors Minutes, February 1, 2010
opened to traffic that November. The town of Crown Point lies entirely within the

Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park is a part of New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure”, and for watershed protection. The park ...

New York State Route 9N New York State Route 9N (NY 9N) is a north–south state highway in northeastern New York in the United States. It extends from an intersection with U.S. Route 9 (US 9), NY 29, and NY 50 in the city of Saratoga Spr ...

New York State Route 22 New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers in Clinton County near the Canadian border ...

, and

New York State Route 185 New York State Route 185 (NY 185) is an east–west state highway in Essex County, New York, in the United States. It serves as a connector between NY 9N and NY 22 in Crown Point and the Lake Champlain Bridge, by which th ...

are north-south and east-west highways that pass through Crown Point. NY-9N and NY-22 are conjoined through the town. NY-185 runs up the Crown Point peninsula. Champlain Lighthouse Crown Point

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 2,119 people, 797 households, and 578 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 27.8 people per square mile (10.7/km²). There were 1,063 housing units at an average density of 13.9 per square mile (5.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.50%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.09%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.24% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.14% of the population. There were 797 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.06. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,958, and the median income for a family was $39,853. Males had a median income of $31,106 versus $20,074 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $16,692. About 10.8% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Crown Point

*Bulwagga Bay – A

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...

between Crown Point peninsula and the mainland of the county. *Burdick Crossing – A hamlet in the northeastern part of the town, near the south end of Crown Point on County Road 48. *Cold Spring Park – A hamlet in the northeastern section of the town, on County Road 7. *Crown Point – The

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

of Crown Point is in the eastern part of the town on Routes NY-9N and NY-22. Crown Point Green Historic District was added to 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 ...

in 2015. *Crown Point – A

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

at the southern end of Lake Champlain and the site of some historic fortifications. *Crown Point Center – A hamlet west of Factoryville at the junction of County Roads 2 and 7. * Crown Point State Historic Site – A state park/historical site at the northern tip of Crown Point peninsula. *Eagle Lake – A lake partly in the southwestern part of the town. *Factoryville – A hamlet west of Crown Point village. *Ironville – A hamlet in the southern part of the town, on County Road 2 at the northern end of Penfield Pond. It is the location of the Ironville Historic District. *Penfield Pond – A lake partly inside Crown Point at the southern town line. *Putts Creek

Wildlife Management Area A Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. New Zealand There are 11 Wildlife Management Areas in New Zealand: * Horsham Downs Wildlife Man ...

– A conservation area north of Crown Point village.

Gallery

Image:Lake Champlain, N.Y., Crown Point Light.jpg,

Crown Point Light The Crown Point Light on Lake Champlain is a former lighthouse at Crown Point, New York, that now exists as a memorial to the exploration of the lake by Samuel de Champlain. History Requests for a light to mark the point date as far back as 183 ...

between 1890 and 1910 Image:Crown Point Light Lake Champlain N.Y.jpg, Crown Point Light, Lake Champlain, circa 1907 Image:Crown Point Light House.jpg, Crown Point Light House Image:Embarkation of Montgomery's troops at Crown Point.jpg, ''The Embarkation of Montgomery's Troops at Crown Point''.

Richard Montgomery Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and he is most famous for l ...

and troops on shore at Crown Point, New York, en route for the invasion of Canada. Drawn by Sydney Adamson. Half-tone plate engraved by J.W. Evans. Printed 1902. Image:Ruins of Fort Frederick Crown Point N.Y.jpg, Ruins of

, circa 1902 Image:Ruins of Fort Frederick, Crown Point, N.Y. 1907.jpg, Ruins of Fort Crown Point, circa 1907 Image:Ruins of Fort Frederick, Crown Point, N.Y. 1900.jpg, Ruins of Fort Crown Point, between 1900 and 1906 Image:Fort Henry from Fort Frederic Crown Point N.Y.jpg, Port Henry from

Fort St. Frédéric A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, Crown Point. Photograph shows view across Lake Champlain at hills in the distance on December 23, 1902.

References

External links

Town of Crown Point official website

Essex County Historical Society

Crown Point historic site

{{authority control Towns in Essex County, New York