Local author tracks Fort William Henry history in new book

Marine archaeologist and member of the French & Indian War Society Joseph W. Zarzynski is well known in the Lake George area for his underwater studies and preservation work of French & Indian War-era sunken vessels in the waters of Lake George. As a registrant with the Register of Professional Archaeologists, he has the credentials to explain what divers are finding on the lake’s bed. He has published several books on underwater subjects and has developed museum exhibits to explain the watery archaeology to the tourists and history buffs who visit the Fort William Henry Museum. His latest work, however, moves onto dry land.

“Fort William Henry’s Moments in Time,” released in August 2023, is his eighth book. The 70 chapters, culled from Zarzynski’s columns in the Lake George Mirror, present stories about the land at the head of Lake George. Besides being the site of a colonial stronghold and setting of the infamous massacre fictionalized in “The Last of the Mohicans,” the location has had three luxury hotels, has been the terminus for the Delaware & Hudson railroad, and currently houses the popular Fort William Henry Museum that opened in 1954. The book is complemented by over 75 photographs, illustrations, and maps.

From 1974–2005, Zarzynski taught Social Studies in the Saratoga Springs City School District. During that time, he completed further university studies, acquiring a second graduate degree, a master’s in archaeology and heritage. During the summers, Joseph W. Zarzynski practiced underwater archaeology at Lake George, directing numerous shipwreck projects with the not-for-profit group, Bateaux Below.

Over the summer of 2023, Mr. Zarzynski led a team of volunteer archaeological technicians who painted a floor mural of a 31-foot, 7-inch long, 1758 bateau shipwreck on an exhibit room floor at Fort William Henry. The artwork, depicting the British bateau shipwreck in plan view, is of Wiawaka Bateau C shipwreck. The unique painting is based on fieldwork conducted between 1987–1991 by Bateaux Below, a group that the author directed from 1987–2011.

A resident of Wilton, NY, Zarzynski conducts research, writes, presents public lectures on archaeology and history projects, and serves on the board of The French & Indian War Society at Lake George, a not-for-profit entity. “Fort William Henry’s Moments in Time” is available at the Fort William Henry Museum gift shop and Amazon.com.