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On Saturday evening, Sept. 22, Old Fort Niagara will present a special evening tour focusing on the construction of the 286-year-old French Castle. The tour will include live demonstrations of the woodworking, stonecutting and blacksmithing skills needed to erect the oldest building in the Great Lakes basin.
The French Castle was built between June 1726 and October 1727 to bolster French influence in the Niagara region and block British westward expansion. In the spring of 1726, about 100 soldiers and assorted workmen left Montreal to erect the new outpost. During the summer, an outbreak of fever delayed construction into the 1727 season.
This program, which begins at 7 p.m., will focus on the tools and techniques employed by the French in the original construction of the castle.
Tickets for the tour are priced at $20 per person. Advance reservations and payment are required. Interested parties should call 716-745-7611 for reservations.