The Mount Independence Coalition received a $9,000 grant from the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership to design, fabricate, and install enhancements to the “Great Bridge” exhibit at the Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell, Vermont.

The project expanded the “Great Bridge” exhibit with three new components. The existing high-quality metal structure for the two large 1777 bridge logs was extended with a matching addition to support a bridge log fragment that had been rescued several years ago. An enlargement of artwork interpreting the lively construction of the bridge by noted military artist Gary Zaboly was fabricated and installed. The Mount Independence Coalition had commissioned this art for its 2017 book, “Strong Ground: Mount Independence and the American Revolution.” New captions and text for these additions, in keeping with the existing museum exhibits, also were created and installed.

Viewing the exhibit updates was a highlight of the June 13, 2026, annual meeting of the Mount Independence Coalition.

The project was funded by an agreement awarded by the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission (GLFC) to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.