Historic upstate NY fort weathers financial crisis

TICONDEROGA, N.Y. – Three years after a financial battering on several fronts, officials at Fort Ticonderoga say they're optimistic that one of the nation's oldest historic sites is recovering.

Attendance rose slightly last year, and administrators of the not-for-profit organization that operates the tourist attraction say the fort's financial situation is much improved from 2008, when dire warnings of a possible closing rattled the Ticonderoga community and others in the heritage tourism industry.

The defection three years ago of a major donor left the site some $2.5 million in debt. Steadily declining attendance since 2001 also hurt the fort's bottom line.