The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New York, founded in 1892, and whose contributions to commemorating the history of the Lake George region date back to the 1903 Battle of Lake George (William Johnson-King Hendrick) sculpture at Lake George Battlefield Park, will dedicate a new historical plaque in the park on Monday, September 7 (Labor Day) at 12 noon. [Read more…] about New Historical Plaque Being Dedicated at Lake George Battlefield
Lake George Battlefield Park
Facial Reconstruction Brings Revolutionary War Soldier to Life
The New York State Museum has unveiled a facial reconstruction of a Revolutionary War soldier whose remains were recovered from the Courtland Street Burying Ground in Lake George, NY.
Created by forensic artist Jenny Kenyon, the reconstruction depicts a young soldier believed to have been in his teens, offering a powerful new glimpse into the lives of the individuals who died while serving during the American Revolution. [Read more…] about Facial Reconstruction Brings Revolutionary War Soldier to Life
Rev War Remains Being Brought to Lake George for Reinternment
The skeletal remains of 44 people believed to have been associated with the Continental Army effort to invade Quebec in 1775 will be transported in historic U.S. military vehicles on Wednesday, May 20 from the New York State Museum in Albany to Lake George.
Scientists there have spent seven years identifying and reconstructing the remains. They will be reinterred in a new memorial at Lake George Battlefield Park being dedicated Friday, May 22. [Read more…] about Rev War Remains Being Brought to Lake George for Reinternment
Revolutionary War Smallpox Hospital Reinterments on Schedule
Town of Lake George officials say construction continues on schedule for the “Repose of the Fallen” project involving the reinterment of the skeletal remains of 44 people who are believed to have been associated with a Continental Army smallpox hospital when they died during the American Revolution.
The remains will be interred in a new memorial located in Lake George Battlefield State Park that will be dedicated during a public ceremony on Friday, May 22. [Read more…] about Revolutionary War Smallpox Hospital Reinterments on Schedule
A Dozen Warren County French & Indian War Fortifications
At least a dozen spots were fortified by British, Colonial and Native forces in what is now Warren County, NY for conflicts leading up to and including the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Those that survived those wars were reused by troops from both sides during the American Revolutionary War.
Of these dozen places, only one remains easily visible on the landscape – Fort George, at the southern end of Lake George. [Read more…] about A Dozen Warren County French & Indian War Fortifications
Lake George Battlefield Plans New Exhibits, Major Events
On this week’s Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast, Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance Trustees Bruce Venter and John DiNuzzo discuss plans for Visitor Center exhibits set to be unveiled in 2026. They also review some important special events planned for the coming months. [Read more…] about Lake George Battlefield Plans New Exhibits, Major Events
Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background
Tucked away between a car dealership and several corporate buildings at 25 Lafayette Street in Queensbury sits Hovey Pond Park, a serene oasis in the middle of suburban commercial development.
It’s a place for the jogger, the dog walker, the nature lover, and children seeking a playground. On a pleasant day, visitors may enjoy the park’s flower garden, fishing pond and wild life sanctuary, including a fast-running, bubbling creek that borders the park’s southern boundary. [Read more…] about Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background
Knox Artillery Train Cannon Relay Set for December
More than 75 people gathered Sunday at Prospect Hill Cemetery in the Village of Victory, Saratoga County, — just steps from the site of British Gen. John Burgoyne’s 1777 surrender—to commemorate four Revolutionary War anniversaries and rededicate a cornerstone of American memory.
The event, hosted by Saratoga 250, featured the dedication of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Knox Artillery Cannon, the 248th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga, the 250th anniversary of Gen. Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery, and the 148th anniversary of the Freemasons’ cornerstone-laying of the Saratoga Monument. [Read more…] about Knox Artillery Train Cannon Relay Set for December
The 1960 Battle of the Bateaux
A piece of a 1758 bateau retrieved from the bottom of Lake George, displayed under glass at the Lake George Battlefield Park Visitors Center, is the only visible remains of the Battle of the Bateaux of 1960.
If one goes by contemporary newspaper accounts, that battle was as vicious – though not quite as deadly – as the French and Indian War (1754-1763) itself. [Read more…] about The 1960 Battle of the Bateaux
Re-interment of 1776 Soldiers and Smallpox Victims: An Update
This week’s “Lake George Battlefield Moments” podcast welcomes Lake George Planning & Zoning Director Dan Barusch who updates us on the status of plans to re-inter 44 Continental soldiers and other smallpox victims who died at Lake George in 1776 at Lake George Battlefield Park in May 2026. [Read more…] about Re-interment of 1776 Soldiers and Smallpox Victims: An Update
A Lake George Battlefield Archeology Podcast
This week’s “Lake George Battlefield Moments” podcast features Skidmore College Anthropology Department Chair Professor Siobhan Hart discussing with the outcomes of the archaeological survey conducted last month at the Lake George Battlefield Park by her team of students and volunteers. There appear to be some tangible results of the exploration that are now under analysis. [Read more…] about A Lake George Battlefield Archeology Podcast
The Capture of Fort George on May 11, 1775
This week’s episode of the Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast welcomes back historian, Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance trustee, and occasional New York Almanack contributor Bruce Venter to discuss the Patriots’ capture of Fort George on May 11, 1775 and the circumstances surrounding it.
Typically its believed that Captain Bernard Romans (ca 1720–1784) led the capture of the Fort on the southern end of the lake from the British the day after the British surrendered Fort Ticonderoga. [Read more…] about The Capture of Fort George on May 11, 1775
George Pratt, Lake George’s ‘Mohawk Warrior’ & Saratoga Springs
I was pleased to recently learn through the New York Almanack and Lake George Mirror about the planned restoration of historic sculptures at the Lake George Battlefield Park.
I have a special interest in the “Mohawk Warrior” sculpture produced by Alexander Phimister Proctor and the unique history surrounding this monumental work.
This sculpture was a gift from George D. Pratt, who commissioned the artist. Interestingly, the sculpture was conceived as a component of the planned conception for the New York State Reservation in Saratoga Springs (now known as Saratoga Spa State Park). [Read more…] about George Pratt, Lake George’s ‘Mohawk Warrior’ & Saratoga Springs
Lake George Battlefield Park Historic Statues Being Restored
The 85-year-old bronze and granite monument to Father Isaac Jogues in Lake George’s Battlefield Park is being restored at a cost of $16,980. The refurbishing of the Park’s two other bronzes – the 1903 sculpture of Sir William Johnson with the Mohawk chieftain King Hendrick (Hendrick Theyanoguin) and the 1921 statue of an anonymous Native American – will begin this spring, said John DiNuzzo, the president of the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance. [Read more…] about Lake George Battlefield Park Historic Statues Being Restored
A Lake George Battlefield Park Archaeology Update
In June 2024, the Chair of Skidmore College’s Anthropology Department, Dr. Siobhan Hart, led the first archaeological exploration of Battle of Lake George archaeology at Lake George Battlefield Park since 2016.
Professor Hart and her team of students, paired with Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance members who contributed 29 volunteer-days to the effort, built on the dedicated fieldwork overseen by the late Dr. David Starbuck in 2000-2016. [Read more…] about A Lake George Battlefield Park Archaeology Update
Lake George Battlefield Visitor Center Ending Record-Breaking Season Sunday
The Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center completes its third season of operation this Sunday (October 27) amidst a record number of visitors, a series of improvements both inside the Center and throughout the park, and plans for further program enhancements under the coordination of the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance. [Read more…] about Lake George Battlefield Visitor Center Ending Record-Breaking Season Sunday
Where Were Johnson’s Lines at the 1755 Battle of Lake George?
The Battle of Lake George on September 8, 1755 was an important early engagement during the French & Indian War. The Battle occurred in three phases. The first skirmish, known in history as the “Bloody Morning Scout,” found the French and their Native allies ambushing the British provincials and their Mohawk allies about three miles south of Lake George. The attack was a rout for the French and resulted in the deaths of British Col. Ephraim Williams and Hendrick Theyanoguin (King Hendrick), the Mohawk sachem allied with Major General William Johnson. [Read more…] about Where Were Johnson’s Lines at the 1755 Battle of Lake George?
Lake George Battlefield Park Archaeology Underway
For the first time since the summer of 2016, Lake George Battlefield Park will be the site of an archaeological survey, to be conducted under the auspices of the Skidmore College Anthropology Department and its Chair, Associate Professor Siobhan Hart. Professor Hart and her students will begin their work on Monday, June 3 and continue over a three-week period. [Read more…] about Lake George Battlefield Park Archaeology Underway
Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center Has Reopened
The Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center opened for its third season at 10 am on Friday, May 24. The Center, located on the bottom floor (rear entrance) of 75 Fort George Road in Lake George, will maintain a weekend and holidays schedule, 10 am until 4 pm, through the end of June, when it moves to five days per week (Thursday to Monday). Admission is free. [Read more…] about Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center Has Reopened
Revolutionary War Memorial Plaza at Lake George Battlefield Park Update
Lake George’s drive to honor the soldiers of the Continental Army who died at the smallpox hospital at Fort George in the first years of the American Revolution continues to gather momentum. [Read more…] about Revolutionary War Memorial Plaza at Lake George Battlefield Park Update