Description: In December of 1678, a team on an expedition, led by Pierre LaMotte, constructed a cabin surrounded by palisades near the foot of the Lewiston escarpment in Niagara County, New York. The fort was named Fort Hennepin, in honor of a Belgian priest and historian traveling with the expedition, as recounted in a 1914 work by Peter Porter. However, within a year, the fort was replaced by Fort Conti, which was located closer to the mouth of the Niagara River and stood on the future site of Fort Niagara. In 1721, the French built an unnamed blockhouse at the same location. Despite having no official name, it was sometimes referred to as Joncaire's Blockhouse or Magazin' Royal, but it was eventually replaced by an unnamed British facility in 1761. Notes: For information on companion works at the top of the escarpment, see Fort Gray.