This is some unreal real estate. An American fort built in 1844 to deter British invasion from the north, Fort Montgomery lies abandoned and unwanted at the US-Canada border on Lake Champlain. An earlier plan was halted when a surveyors’ error was discovered and the builders realized that the 45th parallel, the US-Canada border, was almost a mile south, placing the fort squarely in enemy territory. An 1842 treaty adjusted the border and the site of ‘Fort Blunder’ became the legitimate property of the United States.
Never fully garrisoned or armed, this fort was never engaged in a military action before it was decommissioned. It fell into disrepair under a series of private owners and was ultimately offered to the State of New York for free. NY declined the offer and the property has been for sale since 2006. At one time unsuccessfully listed on Ebay, no one seems to want this property even though the fort itself has a moat. Who doesn’t want a moat?
What would you do with a real fort? Restore it? Invite reenactments of the War of 1812? Hold live action role-playing Empires and Allies games? Build a Champy-themed resort?
If I had a spare 10 million dollars, I would totally restore the fort, add a tower or two, fill the moat, slap on my tiara, and play princess.
