Plattsburgh Bay

Plattsburgh Bay, also called Cumberland Bay, is the stretch of Lake Champlain between Cumberland Head and the mainland at Plattsburgh, New York. Its nominated area covers roughly 2,270 acres of water, along with two separate land parcels: the Kent-Delord House and Fort Brown. On September 11, 1814, Commodore Thomas Macdonough's American fleet, anchored in the confined waters of the bay, defeated a British squadron in a fight lasting about two and a half hours. With the British fleet destroyed, Governor General Prevost's army of more than 11,000 regulars withdrew to Canada. The result gave the Americans control of Lake Champlain and ended British hopes of gaining territory along the Canadian frontier. The city has grown over most of the land fighting sites, but the bay keeps its historic appearance. The Kent-Delord House, built in 1797, served as British officers' quarters, and the earthwork remains of Fort Brown mark the American defensive line. A 135-foot limestone obelisk, the Macdonough Memorial, overlooks the bay.