Fort Drum, Military census-designated place in Jefferson County, New York.
Fort Drum is a military installation in Jefferson County, New York, covering roughly 107,000 acres in the northern part of the state. The facility serves as an Army training center and includes military infrastructure along with residential areas for soldiers and their families.
The site opened in 1908 as Pine Camp and initially served as a summer training ground for troops from the Northeast. During World War II, the Army purchased additional land and expanded the facility substantially before renaming it in 1974 after a New York general.
The LeRay Mansion on the grounds was built in the early 1800s and has been protected as a heritage site for years. Visitors can tour the manor house by appointment and explore its period rooms.
Civilians can visit certain public areas and the museum but need to present identification at entry gates and pass through security checks. The installation sits in a region with cold winters where snow is frequent, so visitors should dress appropriately.
The installation houses a power plant that has used biomass for electricity generation since 2014, supplying roughly 20 percent of the facility's annual energy needs. This energy source uses wood waste from local forests and reduces dependence on outside power grids.
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