Battlefield Park Alliance to dedicate sloop Earl of Halifax model at Visitor Center

The Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance is completing the Visitor Center’s exhibit of 18th-century warships with a new model of the sloop Earl of Halifax. The Alliance will dedicate the historic sloop model at a ceremony on Tuesday, August 18, at 1 p.m. The public is invited to attend the free event at the Visitor Center, 75 Fort George Road, Lake George.

The model is being funded with a grant from the Lake George Park Commission. “The Commission proudly supports the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance as it honors and promotes the history and historical significance of the Lake George Park,” says Park Commission Chair Ken Parker. “As part of the British/American Sunken Fleet of 1758, the sloop Earl of Halifax is an important piece of American colonial history, and we’re pleased to have been able to partner with the Alliance on this project.”

 According to Alliance Trustee and member of the Visitor Center Curation Committee, Dr. Russell P. Bellico, the sloop Earl of Halifax was the largest warship ever deployed on Lake George. “Although the sloop was a British vessel, it was built by provincial shipwrights [American colonials] and manned by provincial sailors,” says Bellico. Bellico is the author of multiple books about the area’s history, including several focused on the region’s maritime history.  

The Earl of Halifax model joins the Visitor Center’s models of historic bateau and radeau. Dr. Bellico and Chairman Parker will be on hand at the dedication to answer any questions about the sloop model.

The Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center is open Thursday through Monday each week in the summer from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will also remain open for the day following the dedication ceremony on August 18.