Free Lecture About the Discovery of an Original Durham Boat - September 9, 2018
Free Lecture About the Discovery of an Original Durham Boat
Saturday, September 9, 2018
Durham boats were critical to George Washington’s famous 1776 Delaware River crossing, but until recently no original boats were known to exist. On Sunday, September 9 at 2:00 pm, Indiana University of Pennsylvania anthropology professor Ben Ford will present a free lecture at the Washington Crossing Historic Park visitor center on his discovery of an original Durham boat at the bottom of a New York lake.
Attendees will learn the history of Durham boats, including the role in Washington’s historic crossings of the Delaware River; what makes a Durham boat different from other vessels; how Durham boats contributed to the development of Mid-Atlantic and Northeast commerce; and how Ford and his team of local divers excavated and recorded this particular wreck and what their findings mean.
Though Washington Crossing Historic Park is home to five historically accurate Durham boats, the park’s vessels are replicas built in the 20th century - nearly 200 years after Washington first used them in the Crossing - for use in demonstrations and reenactments.
Until recently, everything historians knew about Durham boats came from written descriptions because there were no identified archaeological remains to study. That is, until professor Ford found one at the bottom of Oneida Lake, northeast of Syracuse, NY, in 2013.
This is a free event, but registration is required. Visit www.washingtoncrossingpark.org/events to sign up. For more information about this event, call the park at 215-493-4076.
Saturday, September 9, 2018
Durham boats were critical to George Washington’s famous 1776 Delaware River crossing, but until recently no original boats were known to exist. On Sunday, September 9 at 2:00 pm, Indiana University of Pennsylvania anthropology professor Ben Ford will present a free lecture at the Washington Crossing Historic Park visitor center on his discovery of an original Durham boat at the bottom of a New York lake.
Attendees will learn the history of Durham boats, including the role in Washington’s historic crossings of the Delaware River; what makes a Durham boat different from other vessels; how Durham boats contributed to the development of Mid-Atlantic and Northeast commerce; and how Ford and his team of local divers excavated and recorded this particular wreck and what their findings mean.
Though Washington Crossing Historic Park is home to five historically accurate Durham boats, the park’s vessels are replicas built in the 20th century - nearly 200 years after Washington first used them in the Crossing - for use in demonstrations and reenactments.
Until recently, everything historians knew about Durham boats came from written descriptions because there were no identified archaeological remains to study. That is, until professor Ford found one at the bottom of Oneida Lake, northeast of Syracuse, NY, in 2013.
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| Professor Ben Ford |
To stay up-to-date on what is happening in Washington Crossing Historic Park, visit www.washingtoncrossingpark.org. While there, sign up for the park’s free monthly e-newsletter.
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