Fort Crailo

 (1663-1783) - A 1642 Dutch settler's brick manor house fortified and used as a fortification during King Philip's War, the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Located in present day Rensselaer, Rensselaer County, New York. Named Fort Crailo after the original house name. Probably abandoned as a fortification by 1783.

History of Fort Crailo
Fort Crailo was originally the home of the Hendrick Van Rensselaer family. The 1642 Dutch settler's brick manor house named was named "Crailo" after the family home in Holland.

The house was configured by 1663 as a small fortification to protect local settlers from hostile Indians. In 1675 during King Philip's War the local militia constructed a palisade around this fort. After a attack during the French & Indian War in May 1746, the building was fortified with loopholes, eleven gunports and surrounded with a stockade.

The home and grounds were used to quarter colonial troops and the home entertained British and colonial officers during the French & Indian Wars. During the Revolutionary War Patriot troops were camped on the grounds in 1775 and 1776.

The song Yankee Doodle Dandy was said to be penned here in 1758 by Dr. Richard Shuckburg, a British Army surgeon who was amused by the provincial militia drilling for an upcoming attack against the French at Fort Ticonderoga.

Probably abandoned as a fortification by the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783.

Current Status
Now a part of Crailo State Historic Site in Rensselaer, Rensselaer County, New York. Small marker located along Columbia Street.

See Also:
 * Hudson Valley Forts
 * King Philip's War
 * French & Indian War
 * Revolutionary War

Sources:
 * , page 545.

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Crailo
 * Wikipedia - Fort Crailo
 * New York State Military Museum - Fort Crailo
 * Library of Congress - Fort Crailo
 * New York State - Fort Crailo