Plattsburgh Bay | |
 Bay in 2012 | |
   | |
| Location | Plattsburgh,NY |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°41′33″N73°22′34″W / 44.692576°N 73.376141°W /44.692576; -73.376141 |
| Area | 7,025 acres (2,843 ha) |
| Built | 1814 (1814) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000507[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[1] |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960[2] |
Plattsburgh Bay, also known asCumberland Bay, is an inlet on the western shore ofLake Champlain inClinton County, New York. The bay is the location of thetown andcity of Plattsburgh, and was the site of theBattle of Plattsburgh, a naval and land engagement fought on September 11, 1814, late in theWar of 1812. The bay and two land sites related to the battle were designated as aNational Historic Landmark in 1960.[2][3]
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Plattsburgh Bay is located in the northern third of Lake Champlain, on its western shore oppositeGrand Isle. It is bounded on the north and east byCumberland Head, a peninsula extending east and then south, and on the west by the mainland city of Plattsburgh. The southern tip of Cumberland Head is about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) east of the city's shoreline. Southeast of the city, several miles south of the bay, liesCrab Island, which also played a significant role in the 1814 Battle of Plattsburgh, and is included in the landmarked area of the bay.[3]
In September 1814, Plattsburgh came under attack by British forces fromCanada seeking to gain territory for advantage in peace talks which were then ongoing. The city was occupied by British land forces on September 6, and preparations were made for a decisive sea battle for control of the lake. American ships were arrayed across the mouth of the bay between Cumberland Head and Crab Island, and won a decisive victory over the British fleet. At the same time, the British land forces were repulsed by Americans in repeated attempts to cross theSaranac River. One of the principal American land defenses wasFort Brown, which is included in landmark as a separate area.[3]
The third segment of the landmark is the Macdonough Memorial, placed in front of Plattsburgh City Hall and dedicated in 1926. A limestone obelisk 135 feet (41 m) in height, it honors CaptainThomas Macdonough, leader of the American naval forces in the battle.[3]
