Lower Fort Garry
| Lower Fort Garry | |
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Lower Fort Garry
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| Location | Rural Municipality of St. Andrews, Manitoba, Canada |
| Coordinates | 50°06′44″N 96°55′55″W / 50.11222°N 96.93194°WCoordinates: 50°06′44″N 96°55′55″W / 50.11222°N 96.93194°W |
| Built | 1830 |
| Original use | Hudson's Bay Company fort |
| Governing body | Parks Canada |
| Website | Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site |
Lower Fort Garry was built in 1830 by the Hudson's Bay Company on the western bank of the Red River, 20 mi (32 km) north of the original Fort Garry, which is now in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Treaty 1 was signed there.
A devastating flood destroyed Fort Garry in 1826, prompting the company's then governor, George Simpson, to search for a safer location down river. Governor Simpson chose the site of Lower Fort Garry because of its high ground and location below the St. Andrew's Rapids, eliminating a time-consuming portage of heavy fur packs and York boats. However, the fort never became the administrative centre it was intended, since most of the population of the area was centred near The Forks and objected to the extra travel required to do business at the new fort. As a result, Upper Fort Garry was rebuilt in stone at The Forks, very near the original Fort Garry site.
The first buildings built at the fort in 1830 were the "fur loft", which housed the company store, small warehouse and trader's office, and the "Big House" (residence for the governor of the HBC or other high-ranking officials). Later additions included a warehouse and a men's house. The fort's signature walls were completed in the 1840s, adding an icehouse, powder magazine, bakehouse, and warehouse bastions. These walls were non-military, intended only to make the fort appear more important and impressive to both local traders and visiting HBC officers. Many of the buildings were constructed with limestone, which was easily obtained from nearby. The site also hosts excellent examples of Red River Frame construction (Farm Manager's House) and Half-timbered construction (colombage pierroté) (Men's House and Big House Annex).
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