Category Archives: Points of Interest

points of interest, locations and attractions related to the history of the Lake Champlain Valley

Maritime Burlington: New Waterfront Exhibit Highlights Burlington’s Nautical History

Maritime Burlington Comes to the Burlington Waterfront

June 20 brings a new attraction to the Burlington, Vermont waterfront. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) features a new interpretive exhibit, Maritime Burlington in a festive “big top tent” at Perkins Pier on Maple Street. The Maritime Burlington exhibit features highlights from the nautical archaeology fieldwork and historical research of LCMM. The exhibit encourages exploration and discovery and serves as a porthole to Burlington’s nautical history for visitors and area residents. It will also serve as a resource for LCMM’s new Lake Adventure Camps.

Canal boats in port, Burlington, VT, early 1900s.
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Collection.

“We are very excited to be greeting the public right where so much history happened. The lake’s first steamboat, Vermont – and the second commercially successful steamboat in the world – was launched right here on the Burlington waterfront in 1808.” ~ LCMM Executive Director Mike Smiles

See the changing views of the Burlington waterfront over the years -the breakwater, lighthouses, steamboats, canal boats, railroads and the cargo shipped in and out of the Champlain Valley. Use a working replica of a nineteenth century crane to lift cargo into a small-scale canal boat. Weekends will feature demonstrations of such maritime skills as shaping spars, ropework and rigging.

Maritime Burlington - Looking south from Battery Street, Burlington, VT. Courtesy University of Vermont Bailey/Howe Special Collections.

Looking south from Battery Street, Burlington, VT.
Courtesy UVM Bailey/Howe Special Collections.

Several boats from the LCMM fleet will also visit the waterfront at Perkins Pier:

MV Baldwin will host the Saturday Shipwreck tours in July and August;
Champlain Longboats, the student-built rowing boats used for community rowing, regional racing events, and On Water Ecology tours.
Schooner Lois McClure although the schooner is not available for boarding in 2015 while preparing for restoration work this fall
C. L. Churchill (the Lois McClure’s companion wooden tugboat)

Maritime Burlington Schedule

June 20 through August 23: Open Daily
August 24 through October 12: Open Wednesday through Sunday
Lake Adventure Camps: June 22 through August 14

Acknowledgements

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s exhibit Maritime Burlington, 2015 Lake Adventure Camps and the restoration of schooner Lois McClure are made possible thanks to the generous support of sponsors including Burlington Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront, Lake Champlain Transportation, Seventh Generation, Merchants Bank, Dan Landau, the McClure Family, and the Lake Champlain Basin Program. This project was funded in part by an agreement awarded by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to the New England Water Pollution Control Commission (NEI WPCC) in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP).

About the Lois McClure

Lois McClure was built by LCMM shipwrights and volunteers on the Burlington waterfront in 2001-2004, based on two shipwrecks of 1862-class canal schooners discovered in Lake Champlain.

Launched in 2004, Lois McClure has completed eleven journeys. Over 5,200 miles on the region’s inland waterways have carried the schooner south to New York City, west to Buffalo and Lake Ontario, and north to Quebec City, engaging people in history and archaeology at every port.

More than 220,000 visitors in 220 communities have stepped on board. This replica vessel has been the most effective outreach program LCMM has ever conducted, and is a leader in the world of Maritime Museums.

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is located on the shore of Lake Champlain at 4472 Basin Harbor Road in Vergennes, Vermont, across from the Basin Harbor Club. LCMM brings underwater discoveries and lake adventures to the public in exciting and imaginative ways.

The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 11, 2015. LCMM Members and children 5 and under receive free admission. For more information call (802) 475-2022 or visit www.lcmm.org.

Other Lake Champlain News:

World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet

The World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet?

The World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet

The World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet is 38 feet tall and is made of real file cabinets that have been welded one on top of the other. This towering sculpture was built in 2002 by Bren Alvarez, a Burlington, Vermont artist. Alvarez wanted to create a satirical sculpture that would comment on the bureaucracy of urban planning.

The World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet, actually titled “File Under So. Co., Waiting for…,” is a stack of 11 brown, beige, black, gray and green metal filing cabinets welded together and stabilized by an interior steel post. The sculpture contains a total of 38 drawers. It silently stands watch over a vacant lot on Burlington’s Flynn Avenue.

“File Under So. Co., Waiting for…,”

World's Tallest Filing Cabinet in Burlington .Ranked Underrated Summer Vacation Destination

“File Under So. Co., Waiting for…,”
World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet

The sculpture’s title is a reference to Burlington’s controversial Southern Connector (So. Co.), a 2-1/2 mile bypass through Burlington’s South End that would connect the Interstate (I-189) with downtown and help relieve traffic on busy Shelburne Road.

The project was first proposed in 1965 and experienced continuous delays. Alvarez says the structure symbolizes the paperwork that has accumulated since 1965; she wanted one drawer to represent every year the project had been in existence. Each of the 38 drawers representing a year’s paperwork accumulated by the project.

On the side of the sculpture is a map of the area and numerals commemorating the history of the doomed project. Over the decades the project experienced one delay after another, the route and design were changed. The road was scaled back from four lanes to two. It was delayed due to soil contamination in Burlington’s barge Canal. Forty years later the Champlain Parkway still does not exist.

Location: Alvarez says,”The sculpture is very site-specific; it’s right on the center line of the Connector.” The World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet is located at 208 Flynn Avenue in Burlington, and is easy to find. To get there:

World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet

From I-189, drive north on Shelburne Rd./US 7 for five blocks,

Turn left (west) onto Flynn Avenue,

The file cabinet is in a field on the right, between Foster and Briggs Streets.

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Mike Smiles appointed new Executive Director at LCMM

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) announces appointment of Mike Smiles as new Executive Director

J. Michael “Mike” Smiles
new Executive Director at LCMM

The Board of Directors of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) announced the appointment of J. Michael “Mike” Smiles as the museum’s new Executive Director. Mike will assume the role from Erick Tichonuk, who is stepping down from the position. Mike begins the leadership role on January 5, 2015.

“Mike brings a breadth of experience that will broaden the Museum’s impact in reaching and serving diverse audiences through our collection of historic replica vessels, innovative education programs, hands-on rowing programs, publications, research, and permanent and traveling exhibits,. We’re delighted to have him join our team of highly dedicated staff, committed volunteers, and engaged members and donors as we begin our 30th year of operation.” ~ L.C.M.M. Board Chair Bob Beach

Smiles is a career non-profit professional, who comes to LCMM from the New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) in Stonington, CT. At NESS he served as Vice President and Director of Advancement for three years. NESS was named as the 2013 Outstanding Community Sailing Center in America by US Sailing, and offers education programs to more than 3,000 students annually at three locations. NESS also established one of the first AmeriCorps public school partnerships incorporating kayaking, marine science, and sailing to advance science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining such an outstanding organization, especially given its inspiring and innovative mission of discovery and hands-on learning. I am proud to help lead the Museum as a center of excellence in nautical archaeology, boat building, and touring replica historic ships that bring history to life for thousands of people.” ~ J. Michael Smiles, new Executive Director at LCMM

A long-time summer resident of Essex, NY on Lake Champlain, Smiles is the former Director of Development at Mystic Seaport – the Museum of America and the Sea, and Chief Development Officer of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for seriously ill children founded by Paul Newman. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of New Haven and is a graduate of Beloit College in Wisconsin. He and his wife, Martha, will be moving to Vermont from their home of 20 years in Noank, Connecticut.

Smiles will be part of an effort to raise awareness and continue expanding the Museum’s education programs, and secure its leadership in nautical archaeology and educational outreach and impact.

“Many members, donors, and partners are eager to support the Museum because they appreciate its innovative approach in bringing history to life through hands-on learning and self-discovery. Erick’s contribution to the Museum over the years has been immeasurable and I look forward to working with him in my new role as Executive Director to assure his depth of knowledge and passion for LCMM’s mission will best serve the Museum’s bright future. In the meantime, I look forward to meeting LCMM’s many friends, members, and partner organizations as I embrace what I believe to be one of finest maritime museums in the country.” ~ Mike Smiles, new Executive Director at LCMM

About the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum:

Lois McClure and Philadelphia II docked at North Harbor, at LCMM Basin Harbor facility.
(Photo by Bob Hardy)

Through nautical exploration, an active fleet of historic replica vessels, boat-building programs for special needs students, and hands-on exhibits and learning adventures for all ages, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum brings to life the stories of Lake Champlain and its people. Its mission is to preserve and share the rich history of the Lake Champlain region with a broad audience through publications, research, exhibits and education programs. LCMM’s exhibit buildings and on-water programs are seasonal; archaeological research, collection management and education programs continue all year. More information can be found at www.lcmm.org or call 802 475-2022.

John Guilmette Fishing Access Area Closed for Improvements

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is making improvements to the John Guilmette Fishing Access area on Lake Champlain in South Hero and will close the area for at least two months while the planned improvements are being made.

When the area reopens, it will feature an expanded two-lane concrete boat ramp and a 70-foot dock. A redesigned parking lot will better accommodate persons with disabilities. The closure will begin immediately and may last through the winter, depending on fall weather conditions.

“We purchased this land nearly two years ago from private landowners who were operating the site as a boat ramp. This is a great location for people to access the Inland Sea, and acquisition was a critical step in maintaining this access for boaters and anglers, but the site was in serious need of upgrades. We think anglers and boaters will be very happy to see these improvements made.” ~ Mike Wichrowski, lands and facilities coordinator, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department

The construction project at John Guilmette Fishing Access area is being funded through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Sport Fish Restoration Program. These funds are generated as part of an excise tax on fishing equipment, boats and motors, and marine fuel taxes.

To purchase a Vermont fishing license or to find out more about fishing opportunities in Vermont, visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

Ed Weed Fish Culture Station Improvement to Improve Health of Lake Champlain Salmon

Ed Weed Fish Culture Station Improvement to Benefit Lake Champlain’s Salmon

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department expects that an upgrade at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station in Grand Isle, Vermont will improve the health of the salmon population in Lake Champlain.

fish trap at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station in Grand Isle.

Fish Culture Operations Chief Adam Miller with a landlocked Atlantic salmon
from the newly-installed fish trap at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station in Grand Isle.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department hatchery staff, fisheries biologists and other officials recently joined forces to construct a fish trap on the station’s discharge stream, Hatchery Brook. The trap will help to improve the collection process for adult salmon when they return to the brook to spawn.

After collection, the adult salmon will be used to reproduce and provide fertilized eggs at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station in Grand Isle, where the eggs will be hatched and the young salmon raised before their return to Lake Champlain.

“Being able to collect fish in a safe, efficient and effective way for both staff and salmon is key to our overall fisheries management plan. The improvements we’ve completed at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station allow us to meet these objectives more effectively and ultimately produce healthy salmon for our Lake Champlain restoration efforts.” ~ Adam Miller, fish culture operations chief with Vermont Fish & Wildlife.

Former collection methods required more handling, put more stress on the fish, and were less efficient for hatchery staff and biologists.

“The new fish trap decreases the risk of injuries to adult salmon from handling and increases the health and condition of parent fish used to provide fertilized eggs to our hatchery system”. It should also decrease the stress on eggs taken from parent fish, which may improve egg survival rates in the hatchery.” ~ Chet MacKenzie, fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife.

The fish trap will also help fisheries biologists more efficiently collect data from large numbers of returning salmon. The data collected will feature lamprey wounding rates, fish size, abundance and age structure – aiding the department’s assessment of salmon restoration efforts.

Ed Weed Fish Culture Station Improvement to benefit Lake Champlain Salmon

Landlocked Salmon, Salmo salar

The fish trap will also serve as an education tool. The public will be able to see fish when the trap is in operation, learn about salmon restoration efforts at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station and in Lake Champlain, and learn about fish culture and the impacts of invasive species.

According to Vermont Fish & Wildlife Commissioner, Louis Porter, “We are always looking for ways to protect and improve the health and number of fish and other wildlife in the most efficient ways possible. These improvements in how we trap fish, so we can collect and fertilize salmon eggs were developed by hatchery staff and fisheries biologists, and their efforts to come together to put in place cost-effective solutions to improve our work will benefit the salmon population for years to come.”

To purchase a Vermont fishing license or to find out more about fishing opportunities in Vermont, visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

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Category Archives: Points of Interest

Maritime Burlington: New Waterfront Exhibit Highlights Burlington’s Nautical History