An artist painting of the Lake George military wharf circa 1759 with the sloop Earl of Halifax and smaller bateaux. The 1758-built British wharf, now submerged, was studied by Bateaux Below and the 250 year old waterfront structure is the topic of a LAMP-sponsored talk by Joseph W. Zarzynski (photo credit: Mark Peckham & Bateaux Below).
Lecture Title: The Wharf That Launched 800 Warships–The History & Archaeology of a French & Indian War Waterfront Structure
Speaker: Joseph W. Zarzynski (Underwater Archaeologist, Bateaux Below, Inc.)
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Anastasia Gallery upstairs in the Keeper’s House
When: 6:00 pm, Wednesday February 18, 2009
Sponsored by: LAMP and the St. Augustine Archaeological Association
Special Event: DVD signing and special sale of the documentary “The Lost Radeau”
Two hundred fifty years ago this year in July 1759, a military wharf at Lake George, New York, was the embarkation platform for a fleet of 800 British warships and 11,000 soldiers. Under the command of British General Jeffery Amherst, this army succeeded in pacifying Lake George and Lake Champlain and that military action eventually led to the British conquest of New France (Canada).
For over 20 years, underwater archaeologists with Bateaux Below, Inc. have been studying French & Indian War (1755-1763) shipwrecks in the 32 mile long Lake George in upstate New York. More recently the research team completed an investigation of a 1758-built waterfront structure, a submerged wharf, possibly the most best-preserved military pier from this era.
Underwater archaeologist Joseph W. Zarzynski was the principal investigator on an archaeological project that mapped this waterfront structure. The Lake George military wharf project will also be featured in a new documentary to be released this spring entitled “Wooden Bones: The Sunken Fleet of 1758.” Come join us as we explore the military wharf that launched a British fleet!
SPECIAL EVENT: Our speaker will have with him a limited amount of DVD copies of the documentary “The Lost Radeau.” This archaeological documentary has met with rave reviews and is noted for its dramatic use of cutting edge computer animation to bring long lost historic vessels to life. It focuses on the archaeology of a Lake George sunken vessel dating to the French & Indian War which is considered North America’s oldest intact warship, and was the subject of Mr. Zarzynski’s previous lecture at the Lighthouse. We will have a limited amount of DVD copies of this documentary, which will be signed by our speaker, available for sale for the special price of $24.95 through the Lighthouse gift shop. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the underwater archaeological research carried out by LAMP here at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum.
Underwater archaeologist Joseph W. Zarzynski (left) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute scientist John Wimbush (right) during the archaeological and biota survey at Lake George’s 1758-built military wharf (credit: Bob Benway & Bateaux Below).