Saturday, June 13 at 2 p.m. — ORWELL — On Saturday, June 13 at 2 p.m., head to the Mount Independence State Historic Site for a talk on Revolutionary War winter soldiering at Mount Independence by long-time reenactor and history researcher Mike Barbieri. The event is part of Vermont Days Weekend, when admission to all Vermont State Historic Sites and day use state parks is free.
Barbieri’s talk is the annual J. Robert Maguire program, sponsored by the Mount Independence Coalition, the friends group for the historic site.
Barbieri, a life-long Vermonter, has spent forty years researching and interpreting the Revolution with a concentration on the northern theater. He has taught history at high school and college levels and has given innumerable presentations on the 18th century. In 1974, Barbieri helped form Whitcomb’s Rangers and subsequently based his master’s thesis on the original unit. He worked for a number of years at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and, now semi-retired, is active supporting the historic sites in the region, particularly Hubbardton and Mount Independence, the centers for much of his research. Many of his articles can be found at allthingsliberty.com/author/michael-barbieri/
The Mount Independence State Historic Site is open daily 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., through Oct. 13. Regular admission is $5 for adults and free for children under 15.
Mount Independence, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the best-preserved and most significant Revolutionary War archaeological sites in the country. It also has a wealth of natural resources, and six miles of walking and hiking trails. The site, at 497 Mount Independence Road, is six miles west of the intersections of VT Routes 22A and 73 near Orwell village. Carefully follow the signs.
For more info, call 802-948-2000 or visit www.historicsites.vermont.gov.
