Developing a Digital Portal to Lake Champlain’s Revolutionary War Naval Battles

A 1776 map of the naval movements and maneuverings of British and American vessels on Lake Champlain during the Battle of Valcour Island.

The Library of Congress

Recipient: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

Amount: $30,000

On October 11, 1776, only three months after Britain’s North American Colonies declared independence, the chilly waters of Lake Champlain off Valcour Island roiled during the first major naval battle of the Revolutionary War. Led by General Benedict Arnold, the American navy took heavy damage from the enemy but were able to slip past the British fleet under the cover of night, sink their abandoned ships, and retreat to New York’s Fort Ticonderoga. Despite the heavy loss of men and naval vessels, Arnold’s fleet put up enough resistance to stall British plans for the invasion of the Hudson Valley, setting the stage for the American victory at Saratoga the next year. Today, physical reminders of the American navy’s earliest battle remain: several sunken gunboats from Arnold’s fleet, including the Spitfire and Philadelphia, have survived intact and are well preserved on Lake Champlain’s murky floor.

With financial support from the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program’s (ABPP) Battlefield Interpretation Grant, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will plan for a publicly accessible digital portal that allows virtual audiences to make new connections to the history of the Revolutionary War on Lake Champlain. The Museum is developing a research design for future underwater archeological excavations of the Spitfire with the support of an NPS ABPP Preservation Planning Grant. Drawing on the products of this archeological research, the portal will include highly detailed and innovative 3D photogrammetric models of the Spitfire that invite audiences to imagine the experiences of those who served on the vessel. Additionally, the interpretation grant supports the Museum’s exploration of additional digital media for the presentation of perspectives on the battle from Revolutionary-era women, as well as indigenous and enslaved communities.

Battlefield Interpretation Grants from the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program empower preservation partners nationwide to modernize and enhance battlefield interpretation – to inspire wonder, understanding and empathy at the places that witnessed some of our nation’s most challenging events. In addition, the program administers three other grants: Battlefield Land Acquisition, Preservation Planning, and Battlefield Restoration Grants. This financial assistance generates community-driven stewardship of historic resources at the state, tribal and local levels.

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Check out the American Battlefield Protection Program's website for more information about various grant offerings and eligibility.

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