Historical Development of the Fort
Fort Niagara, 1935
- 30 French Castle
- 31c Bakehouse, 1762 altered 1807-10 and repaired 1879
- 32 South Redoubt, 1770
- 33 North Redoubt, 1770-71
- 34b Provisions Storehouse, 1762
- 35 Powder Magazine, 1757
- 36 Log Cabin Trading Post, 1932
- 37 Shot Furnace, 1843
- 57e Gate of Five Nations, 1931
- 90 Rush-Bagot Memorial, 1934
- 401n Oven of French Castle, 1929
- 441 Rest Room Addition to French Castle, 1929
- 472 Well, 1876 with Curb, c. 1932
- 476a Coast Guard Watch Tower, 1930-31
- 476b Coast Guard Signal Tower, 1930-31
- 477 North Casemate Entrance, c.1864
- 478 South Casemate Entrance, c.1864
By World War I, nearly everyone, from the U.S. Army to the local community, recognized the historical importance of the surviving walls and buildings of Old Fort Niagara. Although these structures were in the hands of the War Department, they lacked relevance to the modern operations of the military post and accordingly had a low priority for maintenance and improvements, It was not long after 1910 that serious deterioration became evident throughout the historic area.
The newest assault on the stability of Old Fort Niagara's historic structures came, as always, from a combination of neglect and the forces of nature. By about 1914 the seawall was being dangerously undermined by Lake Ontario, and its subsidence began to collapse the northeast corner of the French Castle. Many of the wooden elements of the building, including its nineteenth century porch, were rotting away. Around 1915 this, the most historic of Fort Niagara's buildings, was abandoned as quarters, and vandals soon damaged the structure. In other parts of the fort the roof of the old Provisions Storehouse was allowed to fall into disrepair, and the structure was unuseable by 1920. The 1762 Bakehouse was boarded up. The redoubts were barely maintained as storage areas, and tall grass grew around the grounds and on the walls.
As the Old Fort visibly deteriorated, concern increased within the local community. By 1922 a number of groups were encouraging the Army to devote scarce funds for the repair and even the restoration of the Old Fort. Their first victory resulted in repairs to the seawall in 1924. This was followed, in 1926, by the beginning of restoration of the French Castle. By 1927 Federal funds were being supplemented by money raised by the Old Fort Niagara Association. Restoration of the buildings, grounds and fortifications was completed by 1934. Old Fort Niagara has been a historic site museum ever since.
The work of the 1920s and 1930s resulted in more than just the restoration of existing structures. This plan, based on S. Erb's detailed October 22, 1935 survey of the water supply system, shows cobblestone paths, a rest room addition to the Castle, the reconstructed Gate of the Five Nations, the impressive Rush-Bagot Memorial of 1934, and even the underground sprinkler system. Aside from some relatively minor changes, the appearance of Old Fort Niagara remains generally the same today.