What was the French name for Fort Ticonderoga?

What was the French name for Fort Ticonderoga? The French called it Fort Carillon. They began constructing the star-shaped fortress in 1755 at the narrows between Lake George and Lake Champlain in present-day New York.

The site was strategically important because armies moving between the Hudson River valley and the St. Lawrence corridor could use the connected waterways. French military engineer Michel Chartier de Lotbinière designed the fort, drawing on the defensive principles associated with Vauban. It was intended to block a British advance toward New France and protect the approaches to Lake Champlain.

The name “Carillon” is commonly associated with the sound of bells. One explanation connects it to the nearby rapids of the La Chute River, whose rushing water supposedly sounded like a carillon. Another tradition links the name to Philippe de Carrion du Fresnoy, who had established a trading post in the area. British forces captured the fort in 1759 and renamed it Fort Ticonderoga. Thus, “Fort Carillon” refers chiefly to its French-era identity, while “Fort Ticonderoga” is the later and current name.