The Lake Champlain Basin Program will host A Tale of Three Gunboats, by Arthur B. Cohn, on Thursday, February 16, 2017 at the LCBP office in Grand Isle, VT. Art Cohn is the Co-founder and Director Emeritus for the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and a Research Fellow, William Clements Library, the University of Michigan. So much rich history can be shared about Lake Champlain’s underwater shipwrecks and archeology including vessels associated with Benedict Arnold’s fleet. The Philadelphia, the Philadelphia II and the Spitfire are just some of the fascinating vessels which may be discussed that evening.
“Finding shipwrecks is the easiest part of my job. Managing a submerged cultural resource for its public value and long-term preservation is hard,” said Art Cohn, Principal Investigator. “The Spitfire is one of the most important shipwrecks in North America and the decisions we make now will determine if it can be preserved for future generations.”
“Art will be sharing the current status of the gunboat Spitfire, one of the gunboats that fought under the command of Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Valcour Island, October 11, 1776,” said Jim Brangan, LCBP Cultural Resources Coordinator and Associate Director of the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership Program.
Cohn added, “Since the gunboat’s discovery in 1997, researchers from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum have been working with the Naval History and Heritage Command to identify the most appropriate preservation strategy for this remarkable survivor of the war that helped defined a nation.”
The program will be the first of five Love the Lake programs featuring both natural and cultural heritage resource topics. This FREE public program begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Lake Champlain Basin Program Office and Vermont Fish and Wildlife Training Facility, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, Vermont, located just north of the Grand Isle ferry entrance. Homemade desserts will be served. For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program at (802) 372-3213.