PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WCAX) – To commemorate the Battle of Plattsburgh this year historical reenactors are setting up camp. Instead of just watching a battle, visitors immerse themselves into the action.
During the Battle of Plattsburgh commemoration events, the Kent-Delord House Museum grounds has been transformed into a 19th century setting.
“It’s good to keep it going, we want people to be aware of what the history of this country was.” said David Murray.
Living history educators like David Murray and his wife Debbie, spend years researching their chosen skills from that time period in order to recreate it as accurately as they can.
“We try to have a good grounding in it, because we certainly don’t want to tell you something that’s wrong. Knowledge changes over time,” said Murray.
The museum’s director Samantha Williams shows how she smiths a knife.
“I should be dressed in men’s kit because typically, in the early 1800s, if you’re a blacksmith, you would have been a gentleman working in this field, but that’s not to say that women didn’t know how to blacksmith,” said Williams.
Ellen Adams, co-historian for the City of Plattsburgh, says the goal of historical reenactments is to help imagine history in a way that is plausible and immersive.
“I think reenactments really, again, help people understand that these were real people who really did these things, that it is not just a story or something theoretical, but these involved ordinary human beings just like us,” said Adams.
Plattsburgh resident Malina Thiede came to the Kent-Delord House with her 8 and 4 year old children says she appreciates interacting with the area’s rich history.
“It’s very hands-on and gives them a great experience, I think, and hopefully great memories when they get older,” said Thiede.