Why would a sign at the limits of a sleepy upstate New York hamlet on the eastern edge of the Adirondack Mountains claim the village as the "Birthplace of the U.S. Navy"? This must be a familiar thought for tourists driving along U.S. Route 4 through Whitehall—some 200 miles north of New York City and 150 miles overland from the nearest approach of the Atlantic Ocean, off Maine.
The answers can be found in the Skenesborough Museum on the Champlain Barge Canal just a block off Route 4 in the center of Whitehall. Here, in a renovated 1917 New York State Canal terminal building, the Whitehall Historical Society has crafted a wonderfully quaint presentation of early life on the American frontier. To be sure, this is not the Smithsonian Institution, but those of us old enough to remember the "old" Smithsonian, with a surprise around every corner, will have a sense of the Whitehall experience.
Of the two floors of exhibits, the areas of greatest naval interest—about one-third of the overall museum—are just off the main entrance. After a brief introduction to the area's geology, a display of the "Birthplace of the U.S. Navy" dives right into the village's claim—supported by a 1960 New York State legislature resolution recognizing that "fact."
Captain Philip Skene of the British Army founded the village, the first settlement on the shores of Lake Champlain, in 1759 as Skenesborough. On 9 May 1775 American forces, acting as an advance party for the attack on Fort Ticonderoga, captured the hamlet. But more important, they also seized the schooner Katherine—renamed Liberty—in the first aggressive action of the Revolution in New York. The Liberty later transported Colonel Benedict Arnold in the 18 May attack and capture of the British fort at St. John's (now Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu), Quebec.
Whitehall's claim is based on these May 1775 events predating those of other claimants including:
- Machias, Maine—HMS Margaretta's capture on 12 June
- Providence, Rhode Island—site of the first call for the establishment of a navy
- Marblehead and Beverly, Massachusetts—George Washington's September charter of the Hannah to serve as a Continental warship
- Philadelphia—claim of 13 October, the Navy's officially recognized birth date.
The Navy, however, does not recognize any locale as its sole place of origin. It considers its "beginnings to have been the Continental Navy, not the Continental Army." Whitehall's proclamation—as with all the others except Philadelphia's—derived from the Army.
Nevertheless, Whitehall buttresses its claim by being the site, in 1776, of the self-described first American naval shipyard. A fleet of eight row galleys, including the Philadelphia—on display at the Smithsonian—and five other vessels were constructed on seven ways at the Skenesborough shipyard. They fought on 11 October in the Battle of Valcour Island, during which the Philadelphia was sunk.
A large interactive diorama of the 1776 shipyard dominates a corner of the museum. A light-and-sound program describes the settlement of the village and the building of the 13 vessels. In the main gallery, maps, paintings, and artifacts describe the town's involvement in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
A transportation theme highlights the museum's look at the history of Lake Champlain and its canal. More than 4,000 artifacts are on display. Among these are items from Whitehall native Rear Admiral William P. Potter, who as captain, commanded the USS Vermont (Battleship No. 20) on the Great White Fleet's round-the-world voyage. Other exhibits include ship models; lake boat, canal boat, and railroad artifacts; cannon and shot; and arrow points and knives of early natives dating back 3,000 years. There is also a small library and gift shop.
Getting very little notice, however, is the museum's most significant artifact. A few feet away from the main building are the remains of the 17-gun USS Ticonderoga, the first American warship to bear that name. Built as a steamer in 1814, she was purchased by the Navy that year and converted to a schooner rig. Commanded by Lieutenant Stephen Cassin, she fought with Captain Thomas Macdonough's squadron in the Second Battle of Lake Champlain on 11 September 1814.
The museum is open daily mid-June through Labor Day, 1000 to 1600, and on Sunday 1200 to 1600. From Labor Day through mid-October, it's open Saturday 1000 to 1500, and Sunday 1200 to 1500. Appointments may be made for visiting at other times by calling (518) 499-1155. Admission for adults is a $2 donation, $1 for senior citizens and students, and $5 for a family.