LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A new marker of local history is set to be unveiled next Sunday, Oct. 8. In a 1 p.m. ceremony at Battlefield Park in the village of Lake George, the village’s local history alliance is reminding visitors about the battle that destroyed Fort George.

The new marker will mark the 1780 destruction of the fort by British forces under the command of Maj. Christopher Carleton. The major led a group of 1,000 men – British soldiers, loyalists, and Native American allies – on the raid, which would also become known as the “Great Burning.” In addition to Fort George, Fort Anne in modern-day Washington County was also razed.

“These raids destroyed a large percentage of pre-Revolution structures from Fort Ann and Queensbury to Schuylerville, on both sides of the Hudson River,” said Pat Niles, a trustee with the Lake George Battlefield Alliance. “They also provoked terror. Some local townships actually joined Vermont after the raids, having lost faith in New York’s ability to protect them from the British.”

The marker is being placed across from Battlefield Park Visitor Center at 75 Fort George Road. It’s being dedicated by the alliance in cooperation with the Washington County Historical Society. A historical presentation will be followed by a color guard and fire salute by Fort William Henry reenactors, as well as a tour of locations around the park that tie into the story of how Fort George came to an end.