LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Bicentennial Barge united New York
Phil Johnson, Clifton Park
The current 250th celebration of the nation’s founding brings back warm memories of New York’s bicentennial in 1976, especially the festivities in the Capital Region. Noteworthy was the program in Albany that featured the dedication of the State Museum at the Empire State Plaza, a festival in Washington Park, and New York’s major touring exhibition The Bicentennial Barge, which arrived in Albany with flags flying on July 1.
The Barge, a 250-foot-by-39-foot vessel, moved by tug, would attract more than 20,000 visitors during its three-day stay at the Port of Albany. It told the story of New York and New Yorkers 200 years ago with a combination of text, live demonstrations, and film on board, with host communities adding local programming at every stop.
Overall, the Barge Project, which was launched on June 3 at the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan, would draw more than 900,000 visitors — admission free- at 34 sites across the state before closing its tour back at South Street on Oct. 16. The project was developed in Albany, designed in Buffalo, with construction done on Staten Island.
Using the state’s canal, river, and bay waterways from Long Island Sound to Lake Erie, its various stops put it within 50 miles of 92 percent of the state’s population. It was truly a New York state celebration 50 years ago.