click to enlarge
Many Burlingtonians know that Battery Park served as a military base during the War of 1812 and Americans there repelled a British naval attack with cannon fire. Far fewer know that they can thank a long-shuttered glass company for turning the space into a park.
Queen City historian Diana Carlisle documented the connection in a history journal nearly 25 years ago. Now she's behind an effort to install a commemorative marker in Battery Park to share its unique history with a wider audience.
"I love the story of people who are behind everything," Carlisle said. The glassworkers were "super important for the growth of Burlington."
Champlain Glass Company was founded in 1827, two years after the Erie Canal opened and created greater demand for building materials to aid the country's westward expansion. Located northeast of what is now Battery Park, in the vicinity of North Champlain and Monroe streets, the plant specialized in making window glass. The enterprise was so significant that the area is labeled "Glassville" on some old city maps.
Glassblowers worked on call, so the company built housing throughout the Old North End. Frederick Smith, the company's eventual owner, helped lay out the neighborhood streets and named Charles Street for his son. Other workers settled in abandoned military barracks at the "commons," or what is now known as Battery Park.
In 1840, Smith and his business partners sold some of the company property. But instead of offering the future parkland to a developer, the partners deeded the plot — which has stunning views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains — to the city to be used "as a public Common ... forever," the land records say.
"When I found that out, I thought, Oh, my gosh," Carlisle said.
Last summer, Carlisle petitioned the state to create a historic marker, much like those found on Burlington's waterfront, Centennial Field and the Church Street Marketplace. The marker has been made, and a dedication is expected in the coming weeks. For Carlisle, it's a fitting ending to a story that has captivated her for more than two decades.
"It's very satisfying and rewarding to recognize and remember," she said.