The Gunboat Philadelphia Preservation Project

About this event

Gunboat Philadelphia: Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Valcour Island The Philadelphia was part of a small American fleet, hastily built in the summer of 1776, that stalled a British invasion from Canada. During the Battle of Valcour Island on October 11, 1776, the gunboat was hit by a 24-pound cannonball near its bow and sank to the bottom of Lake Champlain. A salvage team found and raised the boat in 1935, and it was eventually moved to the National Museum of History and Technology (the museum’s original name) in time for its opening in 1964. After 160 years underwater and decades on display, the Philadelphia is undergoing a customized treatment to clean and stabilize it with the latest conservation technology in order to ensure the survival of the vessel for generations to come. Through two viewing windows, visitors can commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Valcour Island and follow the conservation project to preserve this iconic reminder of the spirit of the American Revolution.