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AHistory
History · Crown Point

Crown Point’s post office opened in 1802, and 24% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 90% of U.S. towns. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register, among them 2 National Historic Landmarks and three historic districts with 27 buildings between them. Below: 18 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1820.

1802first post office
4on the National Register
24%homes built before 1940
18old photos & papers
6famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Crown Point’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Crown Point began

When was Crown Point founded?

1802

The Crown Point post office opened in 1802, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Crown Point Centre (1862) and Ironville (1876), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

First census: 1,522 in 18202020 census: 2,042224 years

How historic is Crown Point?

A

More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Crown Point post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Crown Point’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Crown Point is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Crown Point’s overall grade.
Founding era1802, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194024.4% of homes (±8.2) · typical NY town 26.6% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register4 listings, 27 historic buildings, 136 per 10,000 residents · typical NY town 12.3 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 90%
NewerOlder

New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Crown Point’s 136 sits above most of its state (79% of New York towns have fewer) while its 27 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.2 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Crown Point’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

On the map since 18943 editions of the USGS map, 1894 to 1950. Watch Crown Point change.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Crown Point, and 5 old place names are still on the map.A town in old photos18 old photos, postcards and papers, 1759–1907.Boom and bustPeaked at 4,287 in 1880; 2,042 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · On the map

Crown Point on the map, 1894 to 1950

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Crown Point. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Crown Point on the 1894 USGS mapCrown Point on the 1902 USGS mapCrown Point on the 1950 USGS map1894Ticonderoga sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Crown Point.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Crown Point’s post office has been open since 1802. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Crown Point
1802–today
Crown Point Centre
1862–1951
Ironville
1876–1911
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Burdick CrossingCold Spring ParkCrown Point CenterFactoryvilleIronville
Gone or out of use
Skyline Drive-InlocaleSpar Minemine
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Crown Point
FairviewForestdaleSacred Heart

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

By decade

Crown Point, decade by decade

7 decades in the archive, from the 1750s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1750s–1760s4 items
A north view of Crown Point1759A north view of Crown PointA south view of1760A south view ofDocumentA south view of Crown Point1760A south view of Crown PointCrown Point & part of Lake Champlain1768Crown Point & part of Lake ChamplainDocument
1850s–1890s6 items
1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - New York - Essex County - ED 16-1, ED 16-2, ED 16-3, ED 16-418501940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - New Y…Stair Falls1860Stair FallsWaterfall and river with two fisherman in the distance1860Waterfall and river with two fisherman in the distanceCrown Point, Second View1885Crown Point, Second ViewRuins at Crown Point, N.Y. the barracks1890Ruins at Crown Point, N.Y. the barracksLake Champlain, N.Y1890Lake Champlain, N.Y
1900s8 items
Ruins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Champlain1900Ruins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Cha…Lake Champlain from Fort Frederick1901Lake Champlain from Fort FrederickRuins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Champlain1902Ruins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Cha…Ruins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Champlain1902Ruins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Cha…Ruins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Champlain1902Ruins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Cha…The Embarkation of Montgomery's troops at Crown Point1902The Embarkation of Montgomery's troops at Crown PointRuins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Champlain1907Ruins of Fort Crown Point, a British fort on Lake Cha…Crown Point Light, Lake Champlain, N.Y1907Crown Point Light, Lake Champlain, N.Y
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
The story

How Crown Point came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Crown Point.

Read it all →

Two European forts were built by colonists because of the area's strategic location at the narrows of Lake Champlain. The forts preceded organization of the town by more than half a century: first was Fort Saint-Frédéric built by the French in 1734, who came to this area from their colonial settlements to the north at Quebec and Montreal. They competed with the British for the fur trade with Native Americans in the area.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Crown Point in 1869

Passages that mention Crown Point, cut from the printed page as they were published.

and was divided into the four towns, Champlain, Pittsburgh, Crown point and Willsbor<>', which were incorporated at the same time with the organization of the county. The town of Crown Point, in its original limits,
The military and civil history of the county of Essex, New York1869 · page 203Read the page →
Read the text

and was divided into the four towns, Champlain, Pittsburgh, Crown point and Willsbor<>', which were incorporated at the same time with the organization of the county. The town of Crown Point, in its original limits,

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
and was divided into the four towns, Champlain, Plattsburgh, Crown point and Willsboro’, which were incorporated at the same time with the organization of the county. The town of Crown Point, in its original limits,
The military and civil history of the county of Essex, New York [microform]1869 · page 203Read the page →
Read the text

and was divided into the four towns, Champlain, Plattsburgh, Crown point and Willsboro’, which were incorporated at the same time with the organization of the county. The town of Crown Point, in its original limits,

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the Seventy-seventh regiment. He was promoted to major and killed at the battle of Hubbardton July 7th, 1777. A return of survey with map of the location in the town of Crown Point was filed in the colonial office, August 3d, 1764, Land Papers, xvii, 8. About twenty years after the death of Grant, …
The military and civil history of the county of Essex, New York [microform]1869 · page 803Read the page →
Read the text

the Seventy-seventh regiment. He was promoted to major and killed at the battle of Hubbardton July 7th, 1777. A return of survey with map of the location in the town of Crown Point was filed in the colonial office, August 3d, 1764, Land Papers, xvii, 8. About twenty years after the death of Grant, a spurious agent appeared in the city of 1 Calendar, 777.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the Seventy-seventh regiment. He was promoted to major and killed at the battle of Hubbardton July 7th, 1777. A return of survey with map of the location in the town of Crown Point was filed in the colonial office, August 3d, 1764, Land Papers, xviii, 8. About twenty years after the death of Grant,…
The military and civil history of the county of Essex, New York1869 · page 303Read the page →
Read the text

the Seventy-seventh regiment. He was promoted to major and killed at the battle of Hubbardton July 7th, 1777. A return of survey with map of the location in the town of Crown Point was filed in the colonial office, August 3d, 1764, Land Papers, xviii, 8. About twenty years after the death of Grant, a spurious agent appeared in the city of 1 Calendar, 777.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Crown Point, 1759 to 1960

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1759In the archiveA north view of Crown Point
  3. 1760In the archiveA south view of
  4. 19th century
  5. 1802Post officeThe Crown Point post office opens
  6. 1827Born hereJohn Hammond is born here
  7. 1850In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - New York - Essex County - ED 16-1, ED 16-…
  8. 1860In the archiveStair Falls
  9. 1862Post officeThe Crown Point Centre post office opens
  10. 1876Post officeThe Ironville post office opens
  11. 1877Born hereFred L. Porter is born here
  12. 1880CensusPopulation peaks at 4,287
  13. 1883Born hereThomas S. Hammond is born here
  14. 1884Born hereHarry S. Hammond is born here
  15. 1885In the archiveCrown Point, Second View
  16. 1890In the archiveRuins at Crown Point, N.Y. the barracks
  17. 1894On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  18. 20th century
  19. 1911Post officeThe Ironville post office closes
  20. 1951Post officeThe Crown Point Centre post office closes
  21. 1960LandmarkFort St. Frederic named a National Historic Landmark
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

A north view of Crown Point
Retake this viewA north view of Crown Point, 1759

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Crown Point’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

4 listings protect 27 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
2
Fort St. Frederic
historic buildings protected
27
each building in a district counts
first listed
1966
Fort St. Frederic
Ironville Historic DistrictCrown Point Green Historic DistrictFort St. Frederic★Fort Crown Point★
DistrictsSites★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Federal1
Greek Revival1
★ Landmark
Fort St. FredericSite
★ Landmark
Fort Crown PointDistrict
Ironville Historic DistrictFederal
Crown Point Green Historic DistrictDistrict

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Crown Point, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5001850190019502000Peak: 4,287

Peaked at 4,287 in 1880; 2,042 people lived here in 2020.

21 censuses, 1820–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Crown Point’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

6 famous people were born in Crown Point

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
John HammondAmerican manufacturer, Union Army general and p… · b. 1827
Thomas S. HammondAmerican football player and coach · b. 1883
F
Fred L. PorterAmerican politician · b. 1877
Harry S. HammondAmerican football player · b. 1884
L
Louise M. RussellAmerican entomologist · b. 1905
Bela Whipple Jenks Sr.(1824-1897) American politician · b. 1824
Help out

Finish Crown Point’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewA north view of Crown Point: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Moriah9 historic placesANorth HudsonIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townSchroon2 historic placesATiconderoga22 historic placesAPort Henry7 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Crown Point’s history

What year was Crown Point founded?

The Crown Point post office opened in 1802, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Crown Point rank for history?

Crown Point is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Crown Point?

4 listings, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks: 3 historic districts, the Fort Crown Point, the Ironville Historic District and the Crown Point Green Historic District, with 27 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 27 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Crown Point?

24% of Crown Point’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.2 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1975.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (4), the Library of Congress (14), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.