Fort Ticonderoga History: 19th Century

In 1820, William Ferris Pell purchased the ruins of the Fort and the surrounding "garrison grounds" to preserve it for posterity. In 1826 he built The Pavilion as a summer home. By 1840 it was converted into a hotel to serve the growing number of tourists traveling the Lake by steamer visit the Fort ruins.

1909 saw another generation of the Pell family, Stephen and Sarah Gibbs Thompson Pell begin restoration of Fort Ticonderoga and in 1909 it was opened to the public with President Taft in attendance.

President Taft on the porch

2008 marks the end of the first century of Fort Ticonderoga being open to the public. The Fort houses important and world renowned collections of artifacts from its historic past. The opening of the Deborah Clarke Mars Educational Center marks a new chapter in the Fort's legacy of serving the educational, cultural preservation, and tourism communities with enjoyable programs.