The Lacolle River Blockhouse

English:
The Lacolle River Blockhouse
Back in the XVIIi Century ...
In Canada, blockhouses first appeared in Acadia around 1750, at the time of the British conquest. The Lacolle River blockhouse, built in 1781, was part of the colony's defence network, and served as an outpost for British soldiers on missions in the Upper-Richelieu region. It was abandoned after a peace treaty was signed on December 24, 1814, by the United States and Great Britain, and today is the only blockhouse still remaining in Québec.
Defence outpost
The word "blockhouse" is derived from the German "blockhaus", meaning house that blocks the way. It served primarily as a rapid defence mechanism for strategic sites. This building has two stories, the second of which is corbelled. The walls have musket loops and, on the upper floor, embrasures for cannons. It was, however, built of wood, a material that was cheap and readily available on the site. The result was a high risk of fire and vey poor resistance to artillery attacks.

French:
Le Blockhaus de la Rivière-Lacolle
Dès le XVIIIᵉ siècle ...
Au Canada, les blockhaus firent leur apparition en Acadie vers 1750, à l'époque de sa conquête par l'armée britannique. Construit en 1781, le Blockhaus de la Rivière-Lacolle fait partie du réseau de défense de la colonie et sert d'avant-poste aux soldats britanniques en missions dans le Haute-Richelieu. Abandonné après un traite de paix signe le 24 décembre 1814 entre les États-Unis et le Grande-Bretagne, c'est le seul blockhaus encore debout aujourd'hui au Québec.
Poste de défense
De langue allemande, le mot «blockhaus» signifie maison qui bloque le passage. Il servait avant tout à la defense rapide de lieux stratégiques. Ce bâtiment compte deux niveaux dont le second est en encorbellement. Les murs sont percés de meurtrières et, à l'étage, d'embrasures pour les canons. Sa construction en bois, un matériau bon marché déjà sur place, présentait toutefois un fort danger d'incendie et peu de résistance au tir d'artillerie

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:    |  Le Haut-Richelieu  |  J0J 1J0  |  Québec  |  Canada

Blockhaus de la Rivière-Lacolle
Bataille du Moulin de Lacolle / Battle of the Lacolle Mill
Caldwell Manor
La Bataille d’Odelltown / Battle of Odelltown
La Bataille d'Odelltown / Battle of Odelltown
Fort Montgomery
The Royal Navy
Fort Lennox
Chantier Naval de Île-aux-Noix
David Mayo's Sail Ferry

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.