April 1, 2025
To celebrate our 2025 Grant recipients, we contacted our winners to learn about their projects and and share their unique experiences in the world of archaeology. We’re thrilled to announce Carolyn Kennedy, the winner of the prestigious Ellen and Charles Steinmetz Grant for 2025!
Ellen and Charles Steinmetz Grant Winner: Carolyn Kennedy (Texas A&M University)
With grant funding from the AIA’s Ellen and Charles Steinmetz Endowment for Archaeology, Carolyn Kennedy and Christopher Dostal will lead a team from Texas A&M University and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology to re-investigate the site of the Battle of Valcour Bay on Lake Champlain. The team will return to the underwater site where the 1776 gunboat Philadelphia was lost, a vessel recovered in the 1930s by early hard-hat divers who left behind various structural elements. The Philadelphia Gunboat Research Initiative will advance nautical archaeology by integrating innovative technologies such as advanced remote-sensing techniques and artifact conservation science to document, study, and preserve one of America’s earliest naval artifacts. This research will contribute to a deeper understanding of Revolutionary War maritime history and archaeology, with findings shared through Smithsonian exhibitions and publications timed for the U.S. 250th anniversary in 2026.
How did you get your start in archaeology?
I was captivated by archaeology during my undergraduate tenure at Concordia University (Montreal) after enrolling in an elective course, “Introduction to Classical Archaeology,” taught by Jane Francis in my second semester. Following that course, I immediately added a Classics – Archaeology (Honors) Major to my Anthropology Major. Two years later, I took a trip to the Nova Scotia where I visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. There, I saw an exhibit showcasing underwater archaeology, which captured my interest so wholly I have since built my career as a nautical archaeologist.
Where in the world has archaeology brought you (fieldwork, research, conference travel, etc.)?
While most of my fieldwork is concentrated in the northeast of North America, namely Lake Champlain (Vermont & New York, USA), and Gaspé, Canada, I have participated in field projects off the Balearic Islands (Spain), the Marshall Islands, Toronto (Canada), and Alexandria (Virginia, USA).
What is one of the most memorable things that has happened to you in the field?
For my dissertation research, I studied steamboats, focusing on the hull remains of four that were scuttled in Shelburne Shipyard, Lake Champlain. Of these, I chose to investigate the oldest—one that could not be easily identified through historical records. After two years of archival research, I proposed that the remains belonged to a steamboat named Phoenix, built in 1820 and retired in 1837.
I presented my hypothesis at a conference just a week before our final field season began, concluding with: “Though we’ll probably never know for sure if this is indeed the steamboat Phoenix.”
Two weeks into that season, while I was on shore support, a colleague deposited six hand tools recovered from the engine room onto the dock in front of me. One—a chisel—had writing on it. After a quick cleaning, the markings on the shaft became clear: SB Phoenix.
There was no doubt. We were excavating the Steam Boat Phoenix.
How has the AIA contributed to your success/professional goals?
I am honored to have received the Ellen and Charles Steinmetz Endowment for Archaeology from the AIA to support my ongoing research in Lake Champlain’s Valcour Bay. As co-Principal Investigator of the Philadelphia Gunboat Research Initiative, my team and I are working to locate the lost site of the Philadelphia gunboat and expand the historical record of the Battle of Valcour Bay. While archaeological work at this site has been ongoing for nearly two decades—led primarily by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum—recent advancements in remote-sensing technology have greatly improved our ability to map large submerged areas. These innovations offer new potential to create more precise maps and pinpoint the exact sinking location of Philadelphia, which was recovered in the 1930s by history enthusiast Colonel Lorenzo Hagglund.
Since its recovery, Philadelphia has found a permanent home at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. However, several rigging elements, including its topmast, were never found. By continuing diver surveys—building on the work initiated by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum—and integrating advanced remote-sensing methods, this project aims to locate these missing pieces, conserve them using modern conservation techniques, and reunite them with the gunboat for public display.
Learn more about what Fellowship and Grant opportunities are available through the AIA.
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