The obelisk at the center of the square opposite Plattsburgh City Hall is the 135-foot-tall (41 m) Macdonough Monument that honors the victory of American soldiers and sailors in the Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain. It was the end of the final British invasion of the War of 1812 and it took place in September 1914.
Lieutenant (later Commodore) Thomas Macdonough, commanding the American naval forces on the Lake, established a secure base at Otter Creek (Vermont), and constructed several gunboats. Among them, the USS Eagle, USS Saratoga, the USS Ticonderoga and the USS Preble. The British were able to construct the HMS Confiance along with the gunboats Chubb, Linnet and Finch. Many of the British dead, not including the officers, were buried in an unmarked mass grave on nearby Crab Island, the site of the military hospital during the battle, where they remain today.
On a normal day, the monument is open and can be climbed. There are 156 steps to the top and a 360 degree view.
[Review 1611 of 2024 - 524 in New York - 22634 overall] read more