Excavated Axe Head from the French & Indian War at Fort Crown Point, NY

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War/Revolutionary War artifacts. Being offered is a French & Indian War soldier’s axe head measuring 6 1/2” x 4” xx 1 ½” and weighs 2.9 pounds. This unique piece was recovered many years ago at Crown Point, New York.

This style of axe with a short blade is a style that became quite popular and American made during the middle of the 18th century. Although many similar styles were manufactured in England. With all of the fort building and clearing land, there was a dramatic shortage of tools on both sides.

In 1734, the French constructed a fort at a strategic location on the shore of Lake Champlain. Fort Saint-Frédéric was built at a narrow point in the lake, where its cannons could block any unwanted movement along the water. It also served as a base for raids against the British colonial frontiers.

In 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, the British targeted Fort Saint-Frédéric. An army of colonial provincial soldiers commanded by Sir William Johnson marched north to attack the fort.

In August 1759, the French were faced with a vastly superior British army advancing up the Lake Champlain valley. They chose to abandon and destroy Fort Saint-Frédéric, and retreat further into Canada. The British began construction of a new fort, called Fort Crown Point, which was at least one-third larger than Fort Saint-Frédéric had been. Fort Crown Point ultimately covered three and a half square miles, and it was intended to be the new center of British military power in the region.

As seen in the pictures, this axe has seen extensive use, so much it eventually had to be discarded. There is light surface rust on this axe, but it is still solid with no flaking. In the “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution” by Neumann and Kravic, there are examples of this axe (see pictures).

This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions, closed museums, and from lake divers. The collector meticulously displayed and cataloged every piece along with its provenance. This is the first time this axe has been on the open market, and it is truly a nice piece of early American History. It definitely merits a place in an advanced collection or museum. As with all the pieces in this esteemed collection, a Certificate of Authenticity will be included.