Plattsburgh Barracks
|
Plattsburgh Barracks (1812-1946) - A War of 1812 post first established as Cantonment Plattsburgh in 1812 in present-day Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. Abandoned by the Army in 1946. Acquired and expanded by the U.S. Air Force in 1953 and named Plattsburgh Air Force Base, closed by the Air Force in 1995 under the BRAC program.
War of 1812 (1812-1814)The post initially served as the main encampment for several local fortifications including Fort Brown (3), Fort Scott (4) and Fort Moreau during the War of 1812. The Battle of Plattsburgh was fought in and around Plattsburgh by both ground and naval forces on 11 Sep 1814. The British forces under Sir George Prevost attacked with a Naval force and 15,000 regular British troops. The American forces under General Alexander Macomb and Commodore Thomas Macgonough managed to overcome the British fleet and force the British Army back to Canada. This victory thwarted British plans to take New York City and to control Lake Champaign and helped to end the war three months later. U.S. Civil War (1861-1865)Plattsburgh Barracks appears not to have been garrisoned during the U.S. Civil War but was regarrisoned in 1865 as the war came to a close. In 1870 an inspection of the post identified the building now known as the Old Stone Barracks as two or three company barracks, with four of the eighteen rooms assigned as a hospital. The stone enlisted barracks occupied the south side of a 200' square parade and the smaller officers quarters occupied the east side of the parade. The structures identified in the inspection included:
The mean strength for the post in 1868 was 119 and 91.33 in 1869.  In 1893-1897 the post was rebuilt northwest of the original location. The new post was centered around a huge 40-acre parade known as the "U.S. Oval" with officers quarters (mostly duplexes) lining the west side and enlisted barracks lining the east side. In the construction of the new post, two of the War of 1812 fortifications, Fort Scott (4) and Fort Moreau, were leveled. Human remains were recovered at both sites and were interred in the old post cemetery southwest of the old stone barracks. The old post buildings were repurposed and continued to be used throughout this period. The old stone barracks became a band barracks for a period of time. Many of the 1893-1897 buildings were restored in the 1980s and remain today, repurposed as private homes and commercial businesses.
Cold War (1947-1991)  The U.S. Air Force acquired and expanded the post in 1953 and named it Plattsburgh Air Force Base. A new complex was added south of the old Plattsburgh Barracks that contained a flight line, nuclear weapons storage, alert facilities, and modern support facilities. The old barracks were retained and portions used as housing. The base was a major Strategic Air Command (SAC) flying base and later an Atlas missile control center. As successive weapons systems were deployed to the base additional facilities were built or upgraded including 12 remote Atlas missile silos. The major weapons systems deployed to Plattsburgh Air Force Base included:
The base was abandoned by the U.S. Air Force on 30 Sep 1995 as a part of the BRAC base closure program. The Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation (PARC) was created to repurpose and manage the 5,000-acre former airbase.
Current StatusPrivate property in Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. The 1838 stone barracks remain standing along with a brick magazine but the buildings are boarded up and not open to the public. The old 1838 stone officer's quarters were torn down in the 1960s. The original 200' square parade still fronts the old barracks and the old post cemetery is still behind the barracks. Most of the 1890s post around the U.S. Oval still exists and has been repurposed for private housing and businesses. The look and character of the 1890s post remain and markers pointing out the historic buildings are strategically placed as you drive around the U.S. Oval. At the south entrance to the old 1890s post are two static display aircraft from the cold war era, a B-47 named "The Pride of the Adirondacks" and an FB-111A. The old U.S. Air Force flight line area has been converted from military operations to civilian operation as Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) using the upgraded 11,758' military runway. The 12 remote Atlas missile sites are under civilian ownership. The Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation (PARC) has transitioned the remaining parcels of land to a commercial real-estate company for sale. The Old Stone Barracks has been reportedly sold to a Canadian developer as of 20 May 2011.
Sources:
Links:
Visited: 18 Jul 2012
| ||||||
