In July 1758, British General James Abercromby set out to attack the French at Fort Carillon (now Fort Ticonderoga.) From the lake’s southern shore, where families today swim and play on the beach, and the Lake George Steamboat Company hosts leisurely cruises down the lake, Abercromby launched vessels of war, a flotilla of 15,000 men with more than 1,000 boats. “The largest flotilla, as I understand it, in North American history,” says John DiNuzzo, Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance President.
The event was captured in a diorama created for the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake when it opened in 1957. The Museum, which rebranded to become Adirondack Experience in 2017, offered the diorama to the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance last fall. Using occupancy tax funds granted by the Town of Lake George, the Alliance had the display refurbished, and, on Tuesday afternoon, they unveiled the diorama at the Battlefield Park Visitor Center.
“I know this battle,” says Lake George Council Member Marisa Muratori, “This is a battle that has been spoke of for generations, and I’ve known it since I was a kid. They say that there were so many batteau on the lake in the South Basin that were going to Ticonderoga, you could not see the water. It was an extraordinary moment in history, and I think this is beautifully depicted, and I thank you so much for having it done and installed here.”
In addition to thanking Adirondack Experience for the diorama, and the Town of Lake George for providing the funds to restore it, the Alliance followed the unveiling with tributes to two other organizations that have contributed to the Visitor Center, Fort William Henry and Parks & Trails New York.
DiNuzzo introduced Fort William Henry CEO Kathy Muncil, saying, “What Fort William Henry has done over the last 60-plus years has been a beacon for history in the area, and as we all continue to grow… and make history what it truly can be in this region, it’s good to have the anchor that Fort William Henry represents.”
Muncil spoke about the importance of making history come alive. “It can be written, but we make it live. We make people remember and visit history so you know what your life looks like going forward. It’s really important to know the history.” Fort William Henry has loaned the Visitor Center a replica 18th Century Cannon, which is on display in the center’s foyer.
The Alliance also thanked Parks & Trails New York, which has given the Alliance several grants to develop the Visitor Center. The most recent Parks & Trails grant enabled the Alliance, a volunteer-driven organization, to hire its first employee, Dick Carlson, to serve as the Membership Service Manager.
“I’m thoroughly impressed with the number of visitors that are into history,” says Carlson, and he explained further saying “People are on a mission.” Many that have come to the Visitor Center have traced their ancestry back to soldiers and indigenous people that were involved in the area’s battles and other historical events. “History tourism is a big deal,” says Carlson. “It’s not a casual thing.”
In addition to the diorama, and the cannon, the 2023 season sees the addition of Native American artifacts and sections of a circa 1787 bateau, both on loan from the New York State Museum.
The Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center opened in May 2022 and had more than 2,500 guests in its inaugural season. The Visitor Center, on Fort George Road in Battlefield Park, is open from May through October. Visit the Alliance website for days and hours of operation.
Photos: Battlefield Park Visitor Center Unveils Abercromby’s Flotilla Diorama
