Fort Henry - Kingston (Click here for another picture)
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To visit Fort Henry is to take a step back in time and experience the sights, sounds and smells of military life in Upper Canada more than a hundred years ago. Walking along the fort's broad stone walls that overlook the blue waters of Lake Ontario, it is easy to spot sails on the horizon. Are they friend or foe? Suddenly, white puffs of smoke appear as the boom of canon fire echos across the water. A moment later, troops in bright red uniforms swarm out of the barracks at a run, their movements a study in precision and skill that have been honed to a fine art by months of discipline and training. While they load the huge black guns and swing them into position, the sharp crack of musket shot rings out over the water and soon the air is filled with the pungent smell of smoke and gun powder. This living moment in history is recreated daily at Fort Henry, located just across the Cataraqui River from Kingston, Ontario.

Perched on a rise of land at the entrance to the St. Lawrence, Fort Henry offers impressive views of the city and Lake Ontario. Originally constructed of rough-hewn stone, the first fort was hastily reinforced in 1812 in response to increasing threats of hostility from our now friendly neighbours to the south, the Americans. As border tensions increased, war was finally declared in June of that year. With its strategic location and near perfect harbour, the fort played an important role in the defense of eastern Lake Ontario in what has been described as a "war of nerves." Essentially a race in shipbuilding, bigger and faster ships were being constructed on both sides of the border.

In September 1814, the three-decker vessel named the St. Lawrence was launched from the dock yards. With 112 guns and a crew of 640, the St. Lawrence was easily the largest ship on the lake. In fact, its crew outnumbered the crews of the entire American fleet. But the St. Lawrence didn't see much action as peace was declared at Christmas in 1814. (For those interested in naval history, a magnificent scale model of the St. Lawrence may be viewed at the Marine Museum in Kingston.) Painting by F. Werthman

By 1832, the Rideau Canal was completed, created a water route to Bytown (now called Ottawa), which opened up the wilderness of Upper Canada and increased trading in timber and other goods. That same year, the original hewn-stone Fort Henry was demolished to make way for a larger pentagonal stone structure. Using local limestone quarried between Kingston and Gananoque and shaped by hand, the "New" Fort Henry was completed in 1837. A decade later, again fueled by border unrest, four formidable Martello towers, the Market Battery and the fort's two small stone towers were constructed along the shore between the fort and the city of Kingston. With their massive stone walls and unique construction, the towers added considerably to the area's defensive capabilities. (Today, two of the towers are also open to the public and house informative and educational museums.)

British soldiers continued to occupy the fort until 1870 after which it fell into disrepair. Restored in the 1930s, the fort has now become a living museum where visitors can experience first-hand the excitement and pageantry of military life in the early 1860s. Today, modern crews of university students man the watch and reposition the canons, recreating history in full colour. As members of the Fort Henry Guard, these young men and women perform drills and precise military maneuvers and stage mock battles on a daily basis. Younger history buffs are invited to participate in the Children's Military Muster, where they can dress up in the uniform of the times under the watchful eyes of a real officer of the Guard. Guided tours of the inner fort can also be taken, which include the officer's quarters, the barracks of the enlisted men and the married quarters. As well the Museum Rooms offer a fine collection of British uniforms and regalia.

Fort Henry is an easy drive east of Kingston, Ontario and can be reached either by highway #401 or highway #2. Many other historical sites and museums are located in the city of Kingston and the surrounding area. For more information about Fort Henry, please call (613) 542-7388 ro (613) 544-3679.

Picture(s) from McGill CAC