Fort Ethan Allen (1)

Fort Ethan Allen (1) (1892-1943) - A U.S. Army cavalry and field artillery training post, first established in 1892 on land once owned by the man it is named for. Located in Chittenden County, Vermont. Named in G.O. 21, 1893, after Colonel Ethan Allen, Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician. Deactivated by the Army in 1944 and reactivated by the U.S. Air Force as Ethan Allen Air Force Base in 1952. Finally closed in 1960.

Fort Ethan Allen Commanding Officer Quarters	Fort Ethan Allen Bachelor Officer Quarters (BOQ)
Fort Ethan Allen Parade & Officer's Row

Fort Ethan Allen (1) History

Fort Ethan Allen Guardhouse

Fort Ethan Allen Artillery Barracks

First established on 5 Aug 1892 and first occupied on 28 Sep 1894. One of the largest cavalry and field artillery training posts in the United States. Deactivated by the U.S. Army in 1944 and used for military storage.

A portion of the old fort was used by the United States Air Force from February 1950 to September 1951 as one of 44 temporary radar sites in the Lashup System. This system was established at the beginning of the Cold War to counter a growing threat from the Soviet Union. The Lashup system was replaced by 1952 with Permanent System Radar Sites and the coverage provided by the Fort Ethan Allen site (L-3) was assumed by the new Saint Albans Air Force Station (P-14).

The old fort was acquired by the United States Air Force in 1952 and renamed Ethan Allen Air Force Base. The Base closed down in 1960 and was declared surplus in 1962.

Current Status

Now the University of Vermont’s Fort Ethan Allen Campus a portion of the Fort Ethan Allen Historic District with about 35 historic buildings used by the University. Officers row quarters were sold off to developers in the late 1980s and converted into private condominiums. Some of the barracks have been converted to classrooms for St Michaels and several are now apartment buildings. The riding hall was refurbished and now houses the Vermont Youth Orchestra. The infirmary is now a nursing home. The Veterinary Hospital now houses Vermont Public Radio and all of the stables and garages at the back of the fort are privately owned businesses and run the gamut of small engine repair shop to artist studio.

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Location: Chittenden County, Vermont. Maps & Images Lat: 44.5055556 Long: -73.1502778 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 325'

Sources:

• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 799

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Ethan Allen
• Wikipedia - Fort Ethan Allen
• Fort Ethan Allen Museum

Visited: 18 Jul 2012

Fort Ethan Allen (1) Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!

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  Stone Marker
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  NCO Duplex
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  Chapel
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  Theater
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  Hospital
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  Stable
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  Water Tower
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  Bandstand