As one of the original 13 colonies, New York state is home to many historic sites of the American Revolution, including Crown Point.The peninsula served the French and the British long before American independence.”We preserve about 380 acres of land — that includes the ruins of two forts, a 1734 French fort and a 1759 British fort,” said Sam Huntington, historic site manager for the Crown Point State Historic Site. “The ruins of the two fortifications that are here still exist in a state very close to what they would have been at the end of the 18th century.” The Champlain Bridge overlooks Lake Champlain and the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse. It was built by the French. The lighthouse was originally a windmill, but it became a memorial to honor Native American contributions and the discovery of the lake by the French.Back in 1927, when the commission chose Crown Point for the location of the bridge, it chose it because of its higher bedrock, shallower waters and the length of Lake Champlain.Just across the bridge, a trail connects New York to multiple states. The North Country National Scenic Trail is 4,800 miles across eight states from North Dakota to Vermont. Crown Point is the last stop in New York state.War Cannon Spirits embraces the revolutionary history in the area, too, with its more than 200-year-old building. “It’s 206 years old. It was built in 1820, and it’s one of the oldest buildings of its kind in New York. It’s a beautiful building. It’s about 10,000 square feet now,” said Paul Besignano, owner of War Cannon Spirits. His business thrives on the cross-lake history and community themes.”Because we’re right by the Champlain Bridge, when we got our products into Vermont, we did it through the town of Bennington and the way that branding evolved, the bottle became the ‘Battle for Bennington,’ which took place in New York for the Bennington Arms Depot in Vermont and the evolution of how that bottle became then changed, how the branding worked in New York and Vermont,” said Besignano. Explore more of our region with This Is Our Home:

CROWN POINT, N.Y. —

As one of the original 13 colonies, New York state is home to many historic sites of the American Revolution, including Crown Point.

The peninsula served the French and the British long before American independence.

“We preserve about 380 acres of land — that includes the ruins of two forts, a 1734 French fort and a 1759 British fort,” said Sam Huntington, historic site manager for the Crown Point State Historic Site. “The ruins of the two fortifications that are here still exist in a state very close to what they would have been at the end of the 18th century.”

The Champlain Bridge overlooks Lake Champlain and the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse. It was built by the French. The lighthouse was originally a windmill, but it became a memorial to honor Native American contributions and the discovery of the lake by the French.

Back in 1927, when the commission chose Crown Point for the location of the bridge, it chose it because of its higher bedrock, shallower waters and the length of Lake Champlain.

Just across the bridge, a trail connects New York to multiple states.

The North Country National Scenic Trail is 4,800 miles across eight states from North Dakota to Vermont. Crown Point is the last stop in New York state.

War Cannon Spirits embraces the revolutionary history in the area, too, with its more than 200-year-old building.

“It’s 206 years old. It was built in 1820, and it’s one of the oldest buildings of its kind in New York. It’s a beautiful building. It’s about 10,000 square feet now,” said Paul Besignano, owner of War Cannon Spirits.

His business thrives on the cross-lake history and community themes.

“Because we’re right by the Champlain Bridge, when we got our products into Vermont, we did it through the town of Bennington and the way that branding evolved, the bottle became the ‘Battle for Bennington,’ which took place in New York for the Bennington Arms Depot in Vermont and the evolution of how that bottle became then changed, how the branding worked in New York and Vermont,” said Besignano.

Explore more of our region with This Is Our Home: