A Short History of the Champlain Valley Around Addison

Updated July 14, 2026

The Champlain Valley around Addison, Vermont, holds an outsized share of early American history. Lake Champlain was a Native American travel route and a colonial-era frontier long before Vermont was a state; Chimney Point, in Addison itself, was a site of Indigenous and early French settlement and now sits at the foot of the bridge to Crown Point, New York. The lake was strategic ground in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, when a naval fleet was even built up the river at Vergennes. In the 1800s, Addison County became the heart of Vermont's Merino sheep boom — the world Whitford House's own farm grew up in.

Lake Champlain: an ancient route and a colonial frontier

For centuries, Lake Champlain was a north–south highway for the Abenaki and other Indigenous peoples, and later for the French and British who contested the region. The lake connects the St. Lawrence to the Hudson watershed, which made it strategically vital — and repeatedly fought over — through the colonial wars.

Chimney Point & the crossing to Crown Point

Chimney Point, on the Vermont shore in Addison, takes its name from the chimneys left standing after early settlers burned their own houses while retreating. Today the Chimney Point State Historic Site interprets the area's Native American and early French history, and the Lake Champlain Bridge crosses here to Crown Point, New York — home to the ruins of colonial-era forts across the water. It's one of the most history-rich spots within a few minutes of the cottage.

The Revolution & the War of 1812

The lake corridor saw fighting in the Revolution — Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point, both a short distance to the south and west, changed hands more than once. During the War of 1812, an American fleet was built and outfitted up Otter Creek at Vergennes, then sailed north to help win the Battle of Plattsburgh in 1814. The nearby Lake Champlain Maritime Museum tells much of this story (see the Lake Champlain day guide).

The Merino sheep boom & Whitford House

In the early-to-mid 1800s, Addison County was at the center of a Vermont wool boom, as farmers imported Spanish Merino sheep and prospered on the fine wool trade. Whitford House was built in 1790 and owned for about 150 years by the Whitford family, who were successful Merino sheep farmers — so the farm is a direct link to that era. You can read the history of the house for that story in full.

This is a brief overview — for exact dates, sites, and current hours (Chimney Point, the Maritime Museum, Fort Ticonderoga, and more), check each site's official information before visiting.