Whitehall, New York

Whitehall, New York is a village in Washington County, New York. As of 2000 the population was 2,667. The village is located on the Vermont border at the south end of Lake Champlain and lies between Champlain and Lake George.

History

The village was founded in 1759 as Skenesboro Captain Philip Skene of the British army. It was the first settlement on the shores of Lake Champlain and became an important trade center. On May 9, 1775 Lieutenant Samuel Herrick, acting as an advance party for Ethan Allen's attack on Fort Ticonderoga surprised Major Skene and his small garrison. While he intended to use Skene's boats to ferry men across the lake they didn't arrive in time. Skene's schooner was used later to capture St. Johns.

In 1776, General Philip Schuyler built a small fleet of ships here. They were used by Benedict Arnold in the Battle of Valcour Island in October.