| Fort Ross | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
|
|
|
| Nearest city: | Fort Ross, California |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1812 |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Architectural style(s): | Other |
| Designated as NHL: | November 5, 1961[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000239[2] |
| Governing body: | State |
Fort Ross is a former Russian settlement in what is now Sonoma County, California in the United States. It was the southernmost Russian colony in continental North America, and was a thriving settlement from 1812 to 1841. It is a unique site that has been the subject of archaeological investigation and is designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Contents |
Fort Ross was established by Ivan Kuskov of the Russian-American Company in 1812 as krepost' ross' ("fortress ross")[3] upon the seasonal home of the native Kashaya Pomo. The Company (Under His Imperial Majesty's Protection Russian-American Company") was chartered by the Russian government and controlled all Russian exploration, trade and settlement in the North Pacific, establishing permanent settlements in Alaska. Fort Ross was the southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of the region, and was established as an agricultural base to supply the Alaskan settlements. Initially the Company carried on their fur trading business at Fort Ross, but the focus of this settlement was on agriculture and small industry. It was the site of California's first windmills and shipbuilding. Russian scientists associated with the colony were among the first to record California's cultural and natural history.[4] The Russian managers were the first to introduce many European refinements such as glass windows into Colonial California. Together with the surrounding settlement, Fort Ross was home to Russians,which at that time comprised the various nationalities then under the Russian Empire, such as Poles, Finns, Ukrainians, Estonians, etc.,[5] North Pacific Natives and Aleut laborers in their employment, Kashaya, and Creoles.
By 1841 the settlement's agricultural importance had decreased considerably, and the local population of fur-bearing marine mammals had been depleted by international over-hunting so the fur trade was no longer lucrative. Following the formal trade agreement between the Russian-American Company in Sitka and Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver, the settlement at Fort Ross was not needed to supply the Alaskan colonies with food. The Russian-American Company consequently abandoned the settlement, and it was sold to John Sutter, a Mexican citizen of Swiss origin.
Afterward, ownership of Fort Ross passed from Sutter through successive private hands and finally to George W. Call. In 1903 the stockade and about three acres of land were purchased from the Call family by the California Historical Landmarks Commission. Three years later it was turned over to the State of California for preservation and restoration as a state historic monument; since then, the state acquired more of the surrounding land for preservation purposes. California Department of Parks and Recreation as well as many volunteers put extensive efforts into restoration and reconstruction work in the Fort.
State Route 1 once bisected Fort Ross. It entered from the northeast where the Kuskov House once stood, and exited through the main gate to the southwest. The road was eventually diverted, and the parts of the fort that had been demolished for the road were rebuilt. The old roadway can still be seen going from the main gate to the northwest; the rest (within the fort and extending northeast) has been removed.
Most of the existing buildings on the site are reconstructions. Cooperative research efforts with Russian archives will help to correct interpretive errors present in structures that date from the Cold-War period. The only original structure remaining is the Rotchev House. Known as the "Commandant's' House from the 1940s through the 1970s it was the residence of the last manager, Aleksandr Rotchev. Renovated in 1836 from an existing structure, it was titled the "new commandant's house" in the 1841 inventory to differentiate it from the "old commandant's house" (Kuskov House).The Rotchev House, or in original documents, "Administrator's House", is at the centre of efforts to "re-interpret" Russia's part in California's colonial history.The Fort Ross Interpretive Association has received several federally funded grants to restore both exterior and interior elements. While its exterior has been partially restored, its interior is currently undergoing restoration to reflect the recent research that shows a more cosmopolitan and refined aspect of colonial life at the Fort.
The Fort Ross Chapel was knocked down in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake but much of the original structural woodwork remained and it was re-erected in 1916 with all the American ranch-era modifications that were employed when the chapel was used as a stable and live-stock shed. It was destroyed by fire in October 1970. A few months later the roof of Rotchev House was damaged by fire. The current chapel was built during the intensive restoration activity that followed, but its appearance reflects the American ranch-era modifications rather that the chapel as it appeared in Vosnesensky's 1841 water-colour.
The Russian cemetery on an adjacent ridge has been cleared and the gravesites identified through non-destructive archaeological techniques, primarily soil resistivity.
A large orchard, including several original trees planted by the Russians, is located inland on Ft. Ross Road.
Ivan Alexandrovich Kuskov, a skillful Russian-American Company administrator, served for 22 years in Alaska. He was the founder of Fort Ross and was its colonial administrator from 1812 to 1821.
List of all administrators of the Fort Ross colony:
 |
Kuskov House, located in the mid-eastern area of the fort, was the residence of Ivan Kuskov and the other managers up to Alexander Rotchev. | ||
 |
Rotchev House, located in the northwest area of the fort, was where the last manager of Ross Alexander Rotchev lived with his family. Built circa 1836, it is the only remaining original building. | ||
 |
Officials' Quarters, located in the mid-western area of the fort near the gate. | ||
|
|||
|
The Chapel, located at the southeast corner of the fort, is incorporated into the stockade. This reconstruction sees occasional use by local Russian Orthodox groups. | ||
The National Weather Service has maintained a cooperative weather station at Fort Ross for many years. Based on those observations, Fort Ross has cool, damp weather most of the year. Fog and low overcast is common throughout the year. There are occasional warm days in the summer, which also tend to be relatively dry except for drizzle from heavy fogs or passing showers.
In January, average temperatures range from 57.0°F to 41.5°F. In July, average temperatures range from 66.3°F to 47.8°F. September is actually the warmest month with average temperatures ranging from 68.1°F to 48.7°F. There are an average of only 0.2 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and 5.8 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record high temperature was 97°F on September 3, 1950. The record low temperature was 20°F on December 8, 1972.
Average annual precipitation is 37.64 inches (956 mm), falling on an average of 81 days each year. The wettest year was 1983 with 71.27 inches (1.810 m) and the dryest year was 1976 with 17.98 inches (457 mm). The wettest month on record was February 1998 with 21.68 inches (551 mm). The most rainfall in 24 hours was 5.70 inches (145 mm) on January 14, 1956. Snow rarely falls at Fort Ross; the record snowfall was 0.4-inch (10 mm) on December 30, 1987.[6]
|
||||||||||
