Fort William Henry was an extra-ordinary construction feat when it was built. In 1692, the governor of the English Massachusetts Colony authorized the construction of the fort in order to protect the frontiers of the colony. The Fort was constructed of stone, which was formed into walls 10 to 22 feet in height and a tall stone tower, which was 29 feet high. With a garrison of nearly sixty soldiers and an armory including twenty cannons, the Fort seemed impenetrable.

However, the Native Americans who were upset with the manner in which they were treated by the English once again teamed up with the French and attacked Fort William Henry in 1696. The appearance of the Fort as strong was deceptive. The mortar used to hold the stonewalls together was poor and the walls crumbled under bomb attack. Moreover, the garrison's water supply was outside the fort walls. The Fort was surrendered to the French and Indians and they proceeded to destroy it.