There are currently 419 sites that comprise the National Park System. A mere 62 of those are designated as national parks and receive the lion’s share of attention, funding, and visitors. Books have been written about each, and there’s no shortage of information about them online. But what about the other 357 sites?

Known by a surprising number of designations – from national monument to national battlefield to national lakeshore – the vast majority of the National Park Service’s protected areas aren’t actually “national parks.”

The Roarbots’ series of NPS Adventures takes a big-picture view of one of these sites and highlights some of the best it has to offer. This almost always includes activities and suggestions we can recommend from personal experience. And pictures. There are lots and lots of pictures. Glad to have you aboard!

Welcome to Fort Stanwix National Monument!

Stats

• Fort Stanwix National Monument
• Location: Rome, New York
• Established: 1935
• Admission: Free
• Social Sites: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Known as “the fort that never surrendered,” Fort Stanwix successfully repelled a prolonged siege in 1777 by British, German, Loyalist, Canadian, and Native American troops and warriors.

Built by the British, abandoned, commandeered by Colonials, protected and successfully used to repel the British, burned, and rebuilt, Fort Stanwix tells a uniquely important story about American independence… and it’s in the heart of quaint Rome, New York – a city worth exploring on its own.

(Click on all pictures to embiggen.)

Visitor Center and Museum

The Willett Center (the park’s visitor center) was built in 2005. It’s relatively small but mighty, and it’s the logical place to begin your visit. Inside are some displays and films that help contextualize the fort, reveal its importance during the late 18th century, and tell some of its many stories. Both it and the fort itself are in the heart of downtown Rome, New York.

There are three short trails that originate at the visitor center and encircle the fort. One follows a portion of the Oneida Carrying Place, and the other two interpret the events of the siege of 1777.

Fort

Construction on the star-shaped fort began on August 26, 1758, and would continue for several years. It was originally built by the British to guard a portage connecting the waterways of central New York (ostensibly between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, but – practically – it connected Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Ocean) during the French and Indian War.

This ancient trail was a vital link and trade route for generations of Native Americans, and when Europeans arrived, they called it the Oneida Carrying Place.

A decade after it was built, the fort was abandoned in 1768 and left to ruin. In 1776, it was reoccupied by Colonial troops who began reconstruction and renamed it Fort Schuyler. On August 3, 1777, the fort was besieged by British (and British-allied) troops during a larger campaign that also involved the Battle of Oriskany. The fort, under the command of Col. Peter Gansevoort, refused to surrender, even though they were outnumbered more than 2:1. Eventually, the British slunk away in defeat and retreated through Canada.

On May 13, 1781, the fort burned to the ground, and it was never rebuilt. Though Fort Stanwix was designated a national monument in 1935, reconstruction didn’t begin until 1974. Over the following four years, the National Park Service rebuilt the fort and opened it to visitors. (Click here for some cool pictures and history about the fort’s reconstruction.)

Junior Ranger

Like most NPS sites, Fort Stanwix has a park-centric Junior Ranger program. The book focuses on the history of the fort, the daily lives of the soldiers who were stationed there, park ranger duties, and the NPS in general. For the Roarbots, Junior Ranger booklets and swearing-in ceremonies are a mandatory part of any NPS visit.