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Battery Park (Burlington, VT)
Encyclopedia
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
at the western end of downtown Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
. The park includes a bandshell, a playground, and various monuments, including a bronze statue of Civil War General William W. Wells
William Wells (general)
-Medal of Honor:Wells commanded the Second Battalion, 1st Vermont Cavalry, in the repulse of Stuart's Cavalry at the Battle of Hanover during the Gettysburg Campaign...
, and a red oak sculpture acknowledging the heritage of the American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
.
History
The park was named for the artillery stationed there by American forces during the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. On August 13, 1813, American gunners, aided by the U.S.S. President
USS President
USS President may refer to:, was a 44-gun frigate launched in 1800 and captured by the Royal Navy in 1815. She was then taken into their service as HMS President., was a 12-gun sloop purchased in 1812 that the British captured in 1814. She served simultaneously with, but separately from, the first...
, successfully defended their position against an attack by a British squadron.
The park land was deeded to the City of Burlington in 1870, and the Battery Park Extension was added to the southern end in 1972.
Trivia
- Because of its unobstructed view high above Burlingon's harbor, Battery Park is a very popular spot for observers of the Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
fireworks launched from a barge in the bay.
- According to noted author Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
(The Jungle BookThe Jungle BookThe Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
), Battery Park has one of the two finest sunset views in the world.