Chimney Point (Addison, Vermont)
Addison · Vermont · French and Indian War, American Revolutionary War
History & Significance
At its narrowest point, Lake Champlain is about 0.3 miles across at Chimney Point. In 1690, the British governor of New York sent Captain Jacobus de Warm with 12 soldiers and 20 Mohawk allies to occupy a small stone defense at Chimney Point for about a month.
In 1731, the French took a stand by building a fort to keep the English off the lake and blocking easy access to Canada, marking the frontier of New France and the start of long-term French settlement in the region. The French first built a stockade fort at Pointe-à-la-Chevelure (Chimney Point).
In 1734 or 1735, they began construction of the stone Fort St. Frédéric on the west side of the lake. In 1743, Gilles Hocquart, Intendant of New France, was granted a seigneurie of approximately 115,000 acres on the east shore of the lake, much of today's Addison County.
As the French were leaving in 1759, they burned the fort, leaving only a chimney standing, giving the location its namesake. During the American Revolutionary War, Chimney Point was occupied at different times by both the American and British armies.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Restored 1785 tavern building on strategic Lake Champlain peninsula
- Museum exhibits covering Native American, French Colonial, and Revolutionary War history
- Landscape shaped by centuries of military and settlement activity
- Waterfront setting overlooking lake with views of surrounding landscape
Sources
- http://historicsites.vermont.gov/chimney-point
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimney_Point,_Vermont
- https://www.lcmm.org/explore/lake-champlain-history/french-british-military-conflict-1664-1763/
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/chimney-point
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/history-crown-point-1734-1783