Fort Johnson | |
 (2020) | |
| Location | 2 Mergner Rd.,Fort Johnson,NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Amsterdam |
| Coordinates | 42°57′26″N74°14′30″W / 42.95722°N 74.24167°W /42.95722; -74.24167 |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | ca. 1749 (1749) |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000858 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 1972[1] |
| Designated NHL | November 28, 1972[2] |
Old Fort Johnson is ahistoric house museum and historic site at 2 Mergner Road (junction of New York State Routes5 and67) inFort Johnson, New York. It is the site ofFort Johnson, a two-story stone house originally enclosed in fortifications built bySir William Johnson about 1749. The fort served as Johnson's home, business office and trading center until 1763 when he moved toJohnson Hall in what is nowJohnstown, New York.[3] Sir William's sonSir John Johnson owned the house from 1763 until 1776, when it was confiscated by the localCommittee of Safety. The house remains and is owned and operated as a museum by the Montgomery County Historical Society. It was designated aNational Historic Landmark in 1972.[2][4][5]
Old Fort Johnson is located at the center of the village of Fort Johnson, on the north side of NY Route 5 overlooking theMohawk River just west of NY Route 67. The property, about 1 acre (0.40 ha) in size, is fringed on the front and east side by a low stone retaining wall. The house is a2+1⁄2-story structure, built out of limestone and topped by a hip roof. Brick chimneys are located in the side walls, and the front face of the roof is pierced by three gabled dormers. The front facade is five bays wide, with a center entrance sheltered by a gabled portico supported by Doric columns. The interior follows a central hall plan, with a parlor and study on the left, and a large dining room and serving chamber on the right; the kitchen is located in the basement.[4]
William Johnson came to what is nowUpstate New York in 1738, establishing a sawmill nearby and engaging in trade with the local Iroquois. Johnson built this house about 1749, afterKing George's War ended. The house was surrounded by a woodenpalisade during theFrench and Indian War. Johnson was influential in relations between the colonial government and the localMohawk people, and was named the crown Superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1756. He moved further west, establishingJohnson Hall as his seat in 1763. This house became the home of his sonJohn, who was a leadingLoyalist during theAmerican Revolutionary War. Both Fort Johnson and Johnson Hall were seized by the state and auctioned off due to the Johnson's opposition to independence. After passing through many owners, Fort Johnson was purchased in the 1920s byJohn Watts DePeyster and given to the Montgomery County Historical Society, which now operates it as a museum.[4]
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