Powder Magazine

Fort Montgomery’s powder magazine provided a secure, dry place to store the garrison’s gunpowder and ammunition. It was located at this site because of the good drainage and the protection afforded by the rock ridge between it and the river. The magazine was built early in the fort’s construction, and by the middle of June 1776 its eight-foot-thick walls were completed while masons prepared to finish its arched brick vault. Once finished, the arch was covered with sandy soil and a roof was built over it. Some of Fort Montgomery’s powder came from Henry Wisner’s powder mill twenty miles away in Goshen, New York. The loose powder was stored in one-hundred-pound barrels until it was used to make cartridges for muskets and cannons. The magazine served both Forts Montgomery and Clinton, but during the battle the British cut off communication between the two forts by capturing the pontoon bridge. When the British overran Fort Clinton, its garrison was running out of ammunition.

Highlands, New York · United States