Scenic 18th century ruins have been uncovered and reconstructed at Crown Point, near Port Henry, on Lake Champlain. One ruin is Fort St. Frederic, a French fort that dates back to 1738. In 1759, facing advancing British forces, the French troops abandoned and destroyed the fort themselves, rather than have it fall into British hands. The British military then constructed one of the largest British forts ever built in North America at the site, housing as many as 4,000 soldiers. It was destroyed by fire in 1773, and was not rebuilt. Crown Point was an important strategic site as it is located at a narrow point on the southern end of Lake Champlain, where any passing forces could be attacked from shoreline battlements. This watery corridor, so important in historic times, was enhanced by the opening of the Champlain Canal in 1823, connecting Lake Champlain to the Hudson River at Fort Edward.