The Fort La Presentation Association has an impressive record of accomplishment since it was created:
1986:
• Fort La Presentation Association incorporated by the Regents of The University of the State of New York.
1987:
• First archaeological excavations at the fort site on Van Rensselaer Point by Garrett Cook, Professor of Anthropology of SUNY Potsdam and Director of St Lawrence County Historical Association revealed 18th Century artifacts.
1988:
• Dr. Steven Marqusee , Department Chair of Anthropology, SUNY Potsdam, excavated the location identified as the northeastern corner of the fort.
• Second, archaeological excavations at the fort site by Garrett Cook, professor of anthropology at SUNY Potsdam and director of St Lawrence County Historical Association revealed 18th Century artifacts, but petroleum contamination curtailed the dig.
1990:
• “The French and Indian Settlement at Ogdensburg “ by Persis Boyensen published in the Quarterly January, 1990 Vol. XXXV No. 1, pgs 4-10.
• “The Dig on Light House Point by Garrett Cook Published in the Quarterly, January 1990 Vol. XXXV No. 1, Pgs 22-30.
1999:
• Fort La Présentation Company is registered as a 501©(3) public charity and takes the mantle of the fort reconstruction project from the Ogdensburg Historical Commission.
• Agreement with Paul Carr and James Berier to buy 18 acres for $100,00 on Van Rensselaer Point.
2000:
• First Founder’s Day weekend French and Indian War encampment held on association’s property on Van Rensselaer Point with fewer that two dozen re-enactors .
• Fort Association starts a newsletter.
• City of Ogdensburg obtained a $50,000 grant for fort feasibility study
• Established the Persis Yates Boyensen Award for Outstanding contribution toward the historically accurate reconstruction and ongoing presence of Fort La Presentation.
• The first annual meeting and award ceremony.
• Established the David L. Dickerson Annual Volunteer Award for outstanding commitment of time and effort to Fort La Presentation.
2001:
• Fort Association reports petroleum contamination of Van Rensselaer Point property to New York Sate Department of Environmental Conservation.
• $5,000 grant thanks to state senator James Wright and assemblywoman Dede Scozzafavo.
• $50,000 HUD grant for environmental remediation and architectural services thanks to Congressman John McHugh.
2002:
• Exxon Mobil refuses to sign the agreement with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to investigate contamination uncovered by Atlantic Testing Laboratories.
• Acquired $100,000 HUD grant for environmental remediation and architectural services thanks to Congressman John HcHugh.
• Acquired from Paul Carr and James Bernier an additional four acres on Lighthouse Point
• Bernier and Carr forgave debt, giving 22 acres free and clear to the association.
• City of Ogdensburg assesses property at $1 million.
2003:
• Fort Association’s lobbying efforts leads Exxon Mobil to agree to sign Consent Order to clean the site.
• $50,000 Empire State Development grant for environmental cleanup and architectural issues thanks to Senator Wright.
2004:
• Fort La Presentation Association officially designated to host New York States final French and Indian War commemoration in 2010.
• After lengthy discussions DEC accepts ExxonMobil’s revised work plan.
• Fort Association goes online.
• ExxonMobil reimburses Fort Association more than $31,000 in legal and technical fees. Sets a New York State precedent.
• Association received $67,000 HUD grant for environmental remediation and architectural services thanks to Congressman John McHugh.
• Foit-Albert hired to provide fort design and construction documents.
2005:
• No Remediation of site by ExxonMobil.
• Fort Association submitted a plan to clean property using New York State Environmental Protection and Spill Contamination Fund.
• Association received a $50,000 Development Authority of the North Country grant to develop a remedial plan, thanks to New York State Senator Jim Wright.
• ExxonMobil agrees to pay Fort Association more than $18,200 in legal and technical fees.
• “Faunal Analysis at Fort La Présentation,” Allen, Kari, L. , Jessica Vavrasek and Rebecca Nelson presented at the 45th Annual Northeastern Anthropological Association Meeting.
• Cultural investigation by Pan American Consultants
• Endowment fund established to ensure the heritage of the fort is carried forward.
• Historic research report by David Dickenson and Francois Gagnon, Archival Researcher.
2006:
• Through lobbying by the Fort Association DEC withdraws consent order and assumes cleanup of association property.
• Nature’s Way Environmental Consulting contracted to undertake site remediation.
•The All-American City Judges declare the fort ”showed good citizen participation and collaboration and found it amazing that a volunteer group from the community took on Exxon and won.”
• $3,000 David Dickerson Sponsorship from the NYS 250th French and Indian War Commemoration Commission for relocation of monument.
• ExxonMobil agrees to pay Fort Association $72,406 in legal and technical fees.
Received Foit-Albert conceptual plans , Phase One engineering schedule and cost estimates.
2007:
• $10 million site remediation completed by DEC; 63,465 tons of contaminated soil removed from Fort Association and ExxonMobil properties. The Association hired Pat Tubbs for marketing and related materials.
• Association received $50,000 Sweetgrass Foundation Grant. For relocation of the Abbé Picquet Monument
• Andrew L. Kozlowski of the New York Museum conducts ground penetrating radar surveys to delineate buried structural features of the fort.
• Aaron Gore, from the NYS Museum leads team in a phase-one excavation of forts archaeological remains where 18th Century artifacts are found at floor level of Northwest Bastion.
• Association received Phase II Cultural Resource Survey Report, Aaron Gore, MA, Division of Research and Collections New York State Museum.
• First professional visitors’ survey at Founders Day Weekend confirms strengths and areas of improvement; recommendations implemented.
• Fort Association launched membership drive in Ogdensburg 13669 zip code.
2008:
• Other issues related to ExxonMobil remain to be resolved and discussions continue between the state and lawyers of various parties.
•Andrew L. Kozlowski of the New York State Museum presented GPR Stratigraphy of Fort La Présentation: Successful Targeted Delineation in a Highly Impacted Cultural Site at the 21st Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems.
• “Archaeological Research at Fort La Présentation, Ogdensburg, New York,” by Aaron Gore and Andrew Kozlowski , New York State Museum, presentation held in Albany, NY
• Fort Association sponsored weekend events in Ogdensburg and at Fort Drum commemorating Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry’s raid from La Présentation to Fort Bull.
• First strategic, business and interpretation plans drafted.
• Load bearing soil samples taken at proposed Fort Reconstruction site on Van Rensselaer Point.
• Topographic survey conducted of proposed fort reconstruction site on Van Rensselaer Poin
• Fort Association launched membership in Northern St. Lawrence County.
• $4,000 David Dickinson Sponsorship from the NYS French and Indian War 250th Anniversary Commemoration Commission for interpretive signage.
2009:
• The State Preservation Board nominates Lighthouse Point , Fort La Presentation’s original site, for the state and federal registers.
• Fort Association initiates branding exercise with professional consultant resulting in the Fort logo by Julia Reich Design.
• Professional fundraising campaign for Fort La Présentation development. Board pledges $20,000.
• Strategic plan professionally revised and amended.
• Fort Association launched membership drive among reenactors.
•Fort Association initiates first annual War of 1812 symposium. Professional survey confirms strength and areas of improvement; recommendations implemented. The Association received $5,000 from the NY Council for the Humanities to support the Symposium.
• Abbe Piquet Monument , honoring the forts founder Abbé Françoise Piquet, is returned to Van Rensselaer Point with the cooperation of the Swe-Kat-Si Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Notre Dame Catholic Church.
• Interpretive plaques telling the story of Fort La Présentation and Fort Lévis erected beside Abbé Piquet Monument with the cooperation of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Association and the NYS French and Indian War 250th Anniversary Commemoration Commission.
• Fort Association joined by Quebec Historical Corps to being bring about largest Founder’s Day Weekend to date with 400 reenactors and heritage interpreters.
• Dr. D. Peter McLeod of the Canadian War Museum grants permission to print his unpublished papers in Les Nouvelle du Fort/The Fort News.
• Initiated cross border Founder’s Day Weekend with cooperation with Parks Canada and St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in Prescott, Ontario.
• Other cooperative ventures discussed with the city of Brockville, Ontario.
2010:
• Fort La Présentation Association hosted the New York State’s final 250th Anniversary
• Commemorations of the French and Indian War honoring soldiers, sailors, militia, and native warriors who served at the Battle of the Thousand Islands and the Siege of Fort Lévi.
• Established Living History Educational Day for area 4th and 7th Graders in partnership with the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES.
• Developed curriculum materials for 4th and 7th grade.
• $10,000 grant from AT&T to develop a traveling Educational Kit to include Native and Colonial artifact reproductions , curriculum materials and Library.
• Placed a time capsule in the Abbé Picquet Monument.
• Lighthouse Point is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Professional Exit survey for the 2010 New York State French and Indian Wart 250th Anniversary Commemration Signature Event( $350,000-500,000 direct economic impact.
• Kiwanis contributed a $5,000 donation for Visitors Center.
2011:
• Robin Morris Bench placed placed thanks to donations.
• Received from the City of Ogdensburg $10,000 for marketing.
• SeaCom Federal Credit Union donates $5,000 Interpretive Center. Later used for picnic area
• Kiwanis contributed $5,000 for Interpretive Center.
2012
• City of Ogdensburg for Van Rensselaer Point)Preserve America Community Designation form Fist Lady
• NYS Path Through History subcommittee and tourism promotion.
• Conceptual plans received for Abbé Piquet Trail.
• “Losing Ground, Saving War of 1812 Battlefields Documentary” CNYPBS.
• NY Council for the Humanities $3,000 War of 1812 Sixth Heritage Talks. (More info needed)
• Arron Gore wrote ,Fort La Presentation Phase II Cultural Resource Survey Fort site.
• Allowed the Ogdensburg Community Garden to establish a public community garden on the Fort property.
2013:
• Kiwanis donated $5,000 Interpretive Center.
• Revolutionary War, Native Village (member item DOS $10,000) and War of 1812 Panels (GLST)
• Addie Russell, New York State Assemblywoman, secured $ 25,000 for Monument Plaza.
• Department of State received OPRHP ? $352,650 grant for NCREC/OPRHP. ? For the Abbé Picquet Trail from NYS OPRHP
• Established the first Northern New York Primitive Snowshoe Biathlon.
2014:
• Title search of property completed to mid-1800’s
• 2014 River Valley Redevelopment Authority Grant amounting $40,000 for the trail.
• Assemblywoman Addie Russell secured $10,000 for Trail OPRHP .
• City of Ogdensburg $12,500 for Feasibility Study DOS Donate?
• No our share was 12,500. The grant was for 12,500 and the City administered
• NY Council for the Humanities donates $3,000 for Founder’s Weekend.
• Path through History signage erected.
• Kiwanis donates $5,000 Interpretive Center.
2015:
• Aaron Gore Fort La Presentation Phase iii Cultural Survey Fort dig, Uncovered floor of one of the bastions.
• Established the Joseph Consentino Memorial Award for Special Recognition , Commitment of Self and Resources to the Fort De La Présentation Project.
2017:
• $150,000 and $20,000 in legal fees and a release of liability for any remaining petroleum. Received from the NYS Comptroller for the settlement of our Spill Claim
• The Association will use the correct official name of Lighthouse Point which is Van Rensselaer Point.
• Contamination remediation on the Fort La Présentation site, the original site of Fort De La Présentation . Exxon Mobil was done earlier
• Acquired the four acres ExxonMobil property plus $10,000 for expenses.
• Northern New York Community Foundation. matching grant for the Abbé Picquet Trail.
2018:
• Abbé Piquet Trail and War of 1812 Peace Garden Dedication.
2019:
• Increase programing to Community including carp Fishing tournament, SLC Public Health and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Walk with a Doc and SLCA, NYS Pathway through History. Living History Event.
• Dedicated Masonic Monument
• Outline of the footprint of Fort De La Présentation based on original plans
• Place a swinging bench on Abbé Piquet Walking Trail
• NNYCF Matching $10,000 for Endowment Fund.
• War of 1812 Peace Garden receives the Maple Leaf Award from the Ogdensburg Garden Club.
• The Fort La Présentation Company (Doing Business As Association) DBA 990 Federal Tax return and Financial Statement are at the Ogdensburg Public Library and on our website http://www.fort1749.org
• Received a REDI Grant for $1,230,250.00 to install shoreline stabilization and raise trails on Fort La Présentation Interpretive Trail.
• Tenth Living History day for 4th and 7th Graders.
• Twentieth Founders Weekend- French and Indian War Reenactment and Living History event.
• Twentieth Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.
• Seventh NNY Primitive Snowshoe Biathlon.
• Updated Strategic Plan based on Feasibility Study.
• The Abbé Piquet Trail was complete in December.
2020:
• Received $10,000 grant to be used toward the Association’s $64,750 REDI Grant’s match, from the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency.
2021:
• Established a $20,000 endowment with the Northern New York Community Foundation thanks to a $10,000 matching grant from NNYCF.
• The Association hired TJ Fiacco to stabilize the St. Lawrence and Oswegatchie Rive shorelines and raise portions of the Abbé Picquet Trail.
fort1749.org 