The Battle of Bennington

April 2 – December 31, Lobby Gallery

The Battle of Bennington, fought on August 16, 1777, has come to be known as a turning point in the American Revolution and an event that defines our town to many in the popular imagination. This reinstallation of objects and archival materials from the Museum’s permanent collection, the first in 25 years, centered around the museum’s beloved WPA-era mural by Leroy Williams, will tell the complex stories of the diverse participants and lives that were touched by the battle. From Joseph and Sarah Rudd’s first-hand accounts of their experience of the battle, including taking Loyalist neighbors as prisoners and fleeing to Williamstown on horseback with four children, to a portrait of Lieutenant Jonathan Holton, depicting the scars received from being shot in the face by a musket ball, this exhibition will bring visitors up close and personal with the people who lived through this historic event.

This transitional space is made possible by a Celebrate America grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Read more about this funding in support of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution HERE.

*caption of cover image:

Prisoners Taken at Bennington Battle, August 16, 1777, 1938
Leroy Williams (1878-1965)
Oil on canvas, 72 x 144 in.
Bennington Museum Collection, Courtesy of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Vermont Federal Art Project (FAP), A2048