Fort Lévis

Fort Lévis was a French military stronghold on Isle Royale in the St. Lawrence River, built with earthen ramparts and wooden fortifications. The structure featured artillery positions and barracks designed to defend the waterway and control river traffic.

French forces built Fort Lévis in 1759 during the French and Indian War and named it after François Gaston de Lévis. British troops captured the fort in 1760, renamed it Fort William Augustus, and eventually abandoned the position in 1766.

The fort represents colonial military engineering practices, demonstrating French defensive architecture with casemates, barracks, and artillery placements along the St. Lawrence River.

The original site of this fort now sits beneath the waters of the St. Lawrence Seaway due to flooding from construction projects in the 1950s. Visitors can learn about the fort's location and history from Ogdensburg's waterfront, though the fort itself remains submerged.

After its capture by British forces, the fort was renamed Fort William Augustus, marking the shift in control over this strategic river zone. The renaming reflected the change in power from French to British authority in the region.