Fort Carillon - Lower and Upper Town of Carillon

Lower and Upper Town of Carillon

In 1756, the Canadian and French troops developed “le Jardin du Roi” on the sandy plain below the heights. It was intended to feed the summer garrison charged with constructing the new fort.

By 1758, Fort Carillon and its surroundings were composed of a lower town, an upper town, two hospitals, hangars, and barracks for the soldiers. The lower town itself took the form of a triangle with the fort as its northern tip, and the lower town the southern part of the triangle. There, taverns with wine cellars for the soldiers, bakeries, and nine ovens were located. It was important to construct batteries for the lower town, and the earth removed for construction of the lower town was taken closer to the fort.

On July 22, 1759, when orders were given to set fire to the town, the Indians could not believe that the French and Canadians would abandon what they had worked so hard to build. Heavy smoke rose from the two hospitals, the hangars of the lower and upper town, and the soldiers' barracks. All was to be abandoned to the advancing British army. None of the buildings were ever reconstructed as was the case in Louisbourg, Cape Breton.