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, abandoned by the Air Force in 1995.

1893 Administrative Building	1894 Officers Mess and BOQ
Plattsburgh Barracks, Old 1838 Stone Barracks and Hospital Building

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 a 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:

• Enlisted Barracks 200' long by 26' wide, two stories high 18 rooms
• Officers Quarters 70' long by 25' wide, two stories high 16 rooms, eight sets of quarters
• Headquarters 24' long by 18' wide, one story high
• Commissary 40' long by 18' wide, two and a half stories high, two storerooms and an office
• Carpenter shop 60' long by 16' wide
• Guardhouse 50' long by 15' wide, three rooms and two cells
• Ice house 10' by 12'

The mean strength for the post in 1868 was 119 and 91.33 in 1869.

1895 Commanding Officers Quarters

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 through 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)

B-47 Bomber Static Display at the Old Main Gate

The U.S. Air Force acquired and expanded the post in 1953 and named it Plattsburgh Air Force Base. The base was a major Strategic Air Command (SAC) flying base and later a missile control center under the 380th Strategic Aerospace Wing, SAC.

The base was abandoned by the U.S. Air Force in 1995 as a part of the BRAC base closure program.

Current Status

Private property in Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. The 1838 stone barracks remains 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 was 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 remains and markers pointing out the historic buildings are strategically placed as you drive around the U.S. Oval.

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Location: Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. Maps & Images Lat: 44.681257 Long: -73.44488 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 186'

Sources:

• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 573

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Plattsburgh Barracks
• Wikipedia - Plattsburgh Barracks
• Battle of Plattsburgh Association
• Plattsburgh Barracks
• Wikipedia - Battle of Plattsburgh
• Plattsburgh Air Force Base

Visited: 18 Jul 2012

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