Fort Schlosser was a fortification built in Western

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

in the United States around 1760 by British colonial forces, in order to guard the upper entrance to the

portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...

around

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...

, north of Porter-Barton Dock or Schlosser's Landing along the shoreline with the Niagara River. The fort was named for its first commander,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Joseph Schlosser of the Royal American Regiment of Foot, a practice that was common in the British Army.

Facilities

The fort consisted of a wood stockade with several structures within: * Two storehouses * Living quarters for officers and soldiers Four

cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

s provided protection for the fort.

Replacement

The fort replaced Fort Petite Niagara or Fort du Portage, a small fortification built by the French (Daniel-Marie Chabert de Joncaire) which was burned by the retreating French prior to the Siege of

Fort Niagara Fort Niagara, also known as Old Fort Niagara, is a fortification originally built by New France to protect its interests in North America, specifically control of access between the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great L ...

in 1759. The Old Stone Chimney from Fort Little Niagara was incorporated into Fort Schlosser. Fort Grey guarded the end of the portage in Lewiston, NY.

guards the mouth of the Niagara where it flows into

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

. Fort Schlosser was occupied by

American troops The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

at the start of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, but was captured in 1813 and burned. The fort was located in present-day

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagar ...

in what is now

Niagara County, New York Niagara County is in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 212,666. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word ''Onguiaahra''; meaning ''the strait'' or ''thunder of ...

, near the current water intakes for the

New York Power Authority The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is a public benefit corporation owned by the State of New York and is the largest state public power utility in the United States. It provides some of the lowest-cost electricity in the nation, operating 16 ge ...

off of the Robert Moses Parkway. The remains is the Old Stone Chimney was moved to the former Porter Park near the intersection of Buffalo Avenue and the Robert Moses Parkway in 1957 to near a traffic circle about 1.5 miles from the original fort site. The chimney was relocated in 2015 and is fenced off with a sign providing details on the history of the fort.

References

External links

Brief history of Fort Schlosser
* https://www.oldfortniagara.org

Schlosser Schlosser is a German surname which can mean "locksmith", "machinist", or "metal worker". Notable people with the surname include: *Eric Schlosser (born 1959), American journalist and writer * Friedrich Christoph Schlosser (1776–1861), German h ...

Buildings and structures in Niagara Falls, New York

Niagara River

History of Niagara County, New York {{warof1812-stub

Facilities

Replacement

See also

References

External links