FRONT STREET BLOCKHOUSE

AIRED: Season 6, Episode 7
THE DETECTIVE: Elyse Luray
THE PLACE: Upstate New York

THE CASE:

When a young couple in Schenectady, New York purchased their dream house in the town's historic district, they believed their home was built for a middle class family in the late 19th century, like all other homes in their neighborhood.

But four mysterious stone walls visible in the attic have led them to believe otherwise. Did this house once  guard against enemy attacks during the tense years of the French and Indian Wars - nearly 300 years ago?

History Detectives determines whether this unassuming structure may have helped ensure the survival of the town of Schenectady, a 17th- and 18th-century vanguard Dutch outpost, as it fought France and her Indian allies for control of the lucrative fur trade.

Front Street Blockhouse (PDF File 170K)
(requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

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