The Orchard at Old Fort Johnson
Sir William's house and gardens at Fort Johnson were surrounded by acres of fields growing wheat, peas, corn and vegetables for export trade as well as local consumption.
The estate also contained fruit orchards. Johnson ordered a variety of fruit trees for his orchards, including cherry, white apple, crab apple, pear and plum. His attempts at growing lemons, limes and oranges were not very successful.
Estate gardeners would have been responsible for planting, tending and grafting the trees. In addition servants or slaves were used to help harvest from the orchards, produce sweet and hard ciders and other preserves from the fruit.
Several guests visiting Fort Johnson described the festive meals they were served
as consisting mostly of produce from the estate.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Forts and Castles.
Location. 42° 57.433′ N, 74° 14.417′ W. Marker is in Fort Johnson, New York, in Montgomery County. It is at the intersection of New York State Route 5 and Fort Johnson Avenue ( Route 67), on the
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Mohawk Valley. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Johnson (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Fort Johnson (here, next to this marker); Fort Johnson, 1749 (within shouting distance of this marker); Johnson Trail (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Canal Culverts (approx. 0.3 miles away); Barge Canal (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Last Improvements (approx. 0.3 miles away); Two Problems Solved (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Johnson.
Also see . . .
1. Old Fort Johnson - Montgomery County Historical Society.
2. Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet (Wikipedia). (Submitted on December 13, 2020, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
3. Fort Johnson - National Archives. National Register of Historic Places documentation (Submitted on March 24, 2024, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 12, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 353 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 25, 2022, by Scott J. Payne of Deposit, New York. 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 12, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
