ROUSES POINT, N.Y. -- A Civil War-era fort is for sale on eBay. Fort Montgomery, built in 1844, was manned during the war but never saw any action. "This is the first time it's been formally for sale," said Victor Podd of Boca Raton, Fla., whose family has owned the fort for 23 years.
The limestone fort sits on a Lake Champlain island in northern New York and is connected to the mainland by a 700-foot causeway. The full package offered on the auction Web site includes 6,900 feet of lake frontage and 279 acres on the adjacent mainland.
As of Saturday, the top bid for the property was $1 million.
In 1935, about 80 percent of the structure was demolished and it has since been prey to vandalism.
Podd's late father, Victor, purchased the fort and surrounding property in 1983 to build the headquarters of his company, Powertex. A few years ago, the state declined the Podds' offer to donate the fort and 68 acres of land for use as a state park.
Podd, who now owns the fort with his brother, Stephen, said its reserve price was below $9.9 million, but declined to specify an exact figure. The online auction ends June 5.
Poster Comment:
On another forum, a poster wondered if someone from Dubai would be purchasing the fort.