Historical Development of the Fort
Fort Niagara, 1892
- 30 Quarters (French Castle), 1726
- 31c Storehouse, 1762 altered c.1807-10 and repaired 1879
- 32 South Redoubt, 1770
- 33 North Redoubt, 1770-71
- 34b Quartermaster Storehouse, 1762
- 35 Powder Magazine, 1757
- 37 Shot Furnace, 1843
- 57d Command Post, c.1864
- 401j Sheds on "Castle", 1892
- 445f Castle Privies, 1855-60
- 470 Bakehouse, 1869
- 471b Guardhouse, 1869
- 472 Well, 1876
Like earlier projects, the 1863 defenses were completed long after the crisis had passed. Fort Niagara was again left with fortifications made obsolete by events. By 1870 the place was a hodgepodge of elements dating from 1755 to the 1860s. The recent experience of the Civil War had shown the terrible effectiveness of rifled artillery against masonry forts. This, combined with the proximity of the Canadian shore, finally forced the army to admit that Fort Niagara could no longer be considered a defensible position. One last plan, prepared in 1871, projected an earthen gun pit along the riverfront. When this was rejected, the evolution of Fort Niagara's walls ended.
The years after 1843 witnessed the elimination of a trend begun in 1796. By 1873 the interior of Fort Niagara had assumed the appearance it has today. The remaining wooden barracks had been removed, and only the 1869 guardhouse and bakery complemented the stone buildings. An expanse of open ground dominated the interior.
The absence of new structures was the result of a decade of argument. Recommendations for new quarters outside the fortifications had first been voiced in the 1840s but were initially resisted because they would obstruct fire from the fort. Thus the new barracks and hospital that burned in 1850 had been constructed inside the walls. Subsequent plans called for replacements in the same area, but these were not built. When new fortification work commenced in 1863, doubts about the best course had crept into the discussion. As a temporary expedient, the Chief Engineer ordered, "No new permanent buildings will be now erected on the parade."
Renewed argument followed the return of troops in 1865. The inadequacy of the remaining quarters required immediate action. Although the guardhouse and bakehouse were erected inside the fort in 1869, a hospital and company barracks were built outside in 1865 and 1868 respectively. When officers' quarters were begun in 1870, these were also placed outside the walls. The final decision had been made. Further new construction would occur in the military reserve. An unfortified "New" Fort Niagara would be the focus of future garrisons.
This plan is based on a standard U.S. Army map of the "Military Post and Reservation, Fort Niagara, N.Y." prepared by Paul Bausch on April 1, 1892.