Fort Klock’s Future: As Seen Through the Loophole

 By Willis Barshied, Jr.

Through this loophole and many others like it our Colonial Forebears viewed their enemies and repulsed their attacks to create and ensure the freedom we take for granted today. They helped secure our present-day liberty by their sweat, blood, and hardships. They hewed the timbers to support a great nation, the United States of America, and handed the fruits of their efforts down to us.

The Loophole in the Wall at Fort Klock

Is it not fitting that today, 205 years after the building of Fort Klock, we should try to preserve these crumbling walls so that future generations, those who will inherit the country that these early settlers helped build, can see how the pioneers lived, fought, and worked here in our beautiful Mohawk Valley. This building, which stands close to the Mohawk, has stood to see the Valley transformed from a frontier wilderness to a leading manufacturing and transportation center. It stood in the very shadow of the hundreds of burning settlements as the British Tories and Indians ravaged the countryside during the Revolution and within the range of the enemies' musket balls during the battle of Klock's Field. Still, it has been spared and left for us to see. Is it not our duty to preserve it as a memorial to those early settlers?

As can be seen by the photos, Fort Klock unrepaired might well fall into obscurity along with such long-gone sites as Fort Paris, Fort Plain, and Fort Ehle at Nelliston, which has gone from the American scene within the memory of all of us.

This photo was made before restoration began​

In the short time that the Tryon County Muzzle Loaders, Inc. has had since leasing the Fort property on September 20, 1954, its members have put in days of work cutting brush and weeds, repairing the crumbling wall to the south side of the Fort, improving the road, removing old and useless farm buildings, installing electrical service in the Fort, and making many other repairs. The labor has been largely donated by the members and several projects have been carried out to raise money for the work. More money is desperately needed to complete such future repairs as restoring fireplaces, replacing the window sashes and blinds, installing the Dutch doors typical of that period, and completely restoring the inside to its original condition.

It is hoped to do much of this work this summer in preparation for the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Klock's Field, to be held at Fort Klock on September 25, 1955. 

From the Fort Klock News: A Publication of the Tryon County Muzzle Loaders, Inc. September 1955