SCHUYLERVILLE, NY — On Sunday, July 20, more than 75 people gathered at Prospect Hill Cemetery in the Village of Victory—steps from where British General John Burgoyne surrendered in 1777—to honor four intertwined Revolutionary War anniversaries and rededicate a cornerstone of American memory. The event, hosted by Saratoga 250, marked the dedication of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Knox Artillery Cannon, the 248th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga, the 250th anniversary of Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery, and the 148th anniversary of the Freemasons’ cornerstone-laying of the Saratoga Monument.

The free public ceremony, supported by regional dignitaries, heritage organizations, and living historians, offered an immersive commemorative experience underscoring Schuylerville’s role in Revolutionary War heritage tourism and the upcoming Semiquincentennial.

A Ceremonial Agenda Forged in Brotherhood and Patriotism

Town of Saratoga Historian Sean Kelleher opened the program, highlighting the enduring civic legacy of General Henry Knox, a Masonic patriot whose daring winter journey in 1775–76 brought artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. That same artillery helped shape the American victory at Saratoga two years later.

Lauren Roberts, Saratoga County Historian and Chair of Saratoga 250, formally welcomed attendees and recognized local leaders, including the Saratoga 250 Commission and Campaign for Saratoga 250 board members. Masonic guests included Most Worshipful George F. Hamilton, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts; Lance Wang, District Deputy Grand Master for the Masons in New York; and State Daughters of the American Revolution Regent Lisa O’Brien.

The event’s central moment was the ceremonial dedication of the Knox Artillery Cannon, led by Town Supervisor Ian Murray using a ceremonial American Revolution sword. The cannon—created by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts—now stands as a physical tribute to Knox’s ingenuity, the strength of Masonic brotherhood, will tour the commonwealth of Massachusetts commemorating Henry Knox feat and the end of the Siege of Boston, the first significant victory for the Americans in the War of Independence.

Following the cannon dedication, speakers rededicated the cornerstones of the Saratoga Monument, replicating the ceremony held 148 years ago when more than 40,000 citizens gathered on the battlefield’s centennial. Freemasons from New York and Massachusetts jointly laid the symbolic stone in a ritual echoing the fraternity’s 19th-century commitment to public memory.

A Living Monument to National Memory

This ceremony was not only a reenactment—it was an affirmation. As Roberts noted, “Events like these bring history to life. They connect our Revolutionary past to present-day visitors, families, and those seeking a deeper sense of place.”

Revolutionary War heritage tourism remains a growing sector in Saratoga County, drawing visitors to battlefield sites, monuments, and commemorative events like this one. By integrating Freemasons in the American Revolution into public interpretation, this gathering highlighted how civic identity, national ideals, and community pride continue to meet in Schuylerville.

The program concluded with a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of those who fought and fell during the Battles of Saratoga—what historians have long called “America’s Turning Point.”

Why It Matters

This event is more than historical remembrance. It is a civic declaration: that Schuylerville, New York, remains a vital anchor in America’s journey toward freedom. As the nation enters its 250th anniversary, events like these signal Saratoga’s readiness to lead in heritage tourism, civic commemoration, and public engagement.

With continued partnerships between local governments, Masonic leadership, and organizations like Saratoga 250, the community is poised to welcome visitors and descendants alike—to walk the grounds, touch the stone, and feel the cannon’s cold brass as a symbol of the sacrifices that secured liberty.

For more information, upcoming events, or ways to support the Saratoga 250 Campaign, visit www.saratoga250.com.

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Mockup only. Actual product is paperback.

SARATOGA COUNTY — Think Percy Jackson, but during the Revolutionary War. 

In a collaboration between the Campaign for Saratoga 250 and the Saratoga 250 Commission, the graphic novel “Overhearing History: A Revolutionary Saratoga Story” was recently released as the first installment in a series that highlights Saratoga’s role as “America’s Turning Point” during the Revolutionary War. 

The historical fiction book, targeted to young readers (ages 8-12), is set in Saratoga in 1775.

Talks surrounding the novel began in early 2024, when artist Alex Portal presented the idea to the Saratoga 250 Commission, believing it was a way to further educate a younger audience about the Revolutionary War in Saratoga. Shortly after, historian and writer Anne Clothier joined on to write her first book. 

“I was very excited to discuss it further and then run with it,” Clothier said. “It’s definitely been a long process, and as a first time author, everyone has been wonderful and helpful, and it has been an absolute delight to work with Alex Portal.”

With a family who’s been based in Saratoga Springs for eight generations, Clothier took inspiration for her protagonists from various stories she was told growing up. 

“Growing up with stories of which ancestor lived where, and who came from where in New England, and all these different stories have kind of been swirling since my childhood in my mind, and it’s something that’s always fascinated me,” she said. 

“A lot of that curiosity, I was able to sort of bring out and bring some to life in this project,” she said.

The novel follows the story of a 12-year-old boy named Nathaniel Genesis during the 18th-century as the Revolutionary War begins, aiming to expose younger audiences to varying perspectives and the complexities of war during the time. 

“It has to do with bringing these different perspectives out and giving these different perspectives an opportunity to be shared and be heard,” Clothier said. 

“We know there were loyalists, we know that there were indigenous people, we know there were enslaved people, but actually getting to really consider what their perspectives might have been throughout all of this, and think about all of the different aspects of their lives,” Clothier said.

Over the course of the past year, time was spent working on the creative aspects, designing the art, creating a narrative and vetting all the historical information for accuracy by staff at the Saratoga National Historical Park. 

“I’m very grateful to everything that Alex has done, but all of the people that have helped us out along the way, local historians and the county historian herself, Lauren Roberts, has been extremely supportive of this all along,” Clothier said.

It wasn’t until the beginning of the year that the Campaign for Saratoga 250 was approached as a publisher, looking to find distribution to as many people as possible. The books are currently available on demand such as Kindle, Amazon and other digital publishers, with physical copies expected to be available in the next two weeks. 

“We wanted to produce and distribute something for that audience of families with your children that could be through a relatable lens,” said Bill Teator, executive director for the Campaign of Saratoga 250. “So this method, this media, gave us a medium.”

However, the series won’t end here, with this edition expected to be the first of three novels that Clothier and Portal will be working on, continuing to follow the journey of Nathaniel throughout the conflict that birthed the Americas. 

“I think in any era, but honestly right now, in particular, making sure that people take a moment to think about what others are going through, what others might be thinking and feeling, is very important,” Clothier said.

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American Artillery demonstrating era cannon fire at Saratoga National Battlefield for public, Oct 2023.

SCHUYLERVILLE – Saratoga County recently won a state County Infrastructure Grant to help celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The $250,000 grant will help fund a project to establish a central hub, dubbed “America’s Turning Point Heritage Center,” for the Saratoga Battlefield Heritage Region in anticipation of the upcoming anniversary, Governor Kathy Hochul announced this week.

The heritage center will be located in the Village of Schuylerville. According to Hochul’s announcement, the heritage center will include historical displays and presentations “with a heavy emphasis on technology, including Augmented Reality and AI,” as well as restrooms, a merchandise shop, and offices.

The grant is administered by Empire State Development, and awards grants to support small- and medium-sized county-led infrastructure projects, including those that impact a region’s economic impact.  

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Investing in local infrastructure projects generates new opportunities to increase housing and support sustainable economic development. The grants awarded through this program will enable counties across the state to address critical community needs that would not otherwise happen, promoting local and regional growth.”

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SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. — The legacy of the Marquis de Lafayette—French hero of the American Revolution and global champion of liberty—was celebrated in a moving public ceremony held yesterday at the Schuyler House, part of Saratoga National Historical Park.

The event, co-hosted by the Saratoga 250 Commission and Saratoga National Historical Park, honored Lafayette’s enduring impact on democracy and human rights during his 1824–1825 Farewell Tour of the United States. Attendees heard historical toasts, scholarly insights, and witnessed a wreath-laying ceremony that reflected the international ideals Lafayette championed in both France and America.

“As an alumnus of Lafayette College, I learned so many interesting things about the Marquis yesterday that I had never realized,” said Steve Bulger, Saratoga 250 Commissioner. “It was a great crowd, and a powerful history lesson.”

A Legacy of Liberty

The program was led by Sean Kelleher, Town of Saratoga Historian and Vice Chair of the Saratoga 250 Commission, who served as Master of Ceremonies. Kelleher shared a series of authentic toasts from 1824, originally proposed at a dinner in Lafayette’s honor at Orange Court House, Virginia. Among them:

“The Heroes and Sages of the Revolution: Hallowed be the memory of the dead; happy the days of the living.”
“The Infant Hercules who strangled the two serpents—at Saratoga and Yorktown.”

He was joined by Eric Schnitzer, National Park Ranger and military historian, who presented new research into Lafayette’s lesser-known activities in Albany in 1778. Schnitzer detailed Lafayette’s abandoned plans to lead an invasion into Canada due to limited resources, and his diplomatic efforts alongside Major General Philip Schuyler to foster peace with the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.

Garrett Cloer, Program Manager for Interpretation and Visitor Experience at Saratoga National Historical Park, concluded the presentations with a reflection on Lafayette’s 19th-century advocacy for universal liberty. Cloer emphasized Lafayette’s commitment to the abolition of slavery, the expansion of civil rights, and his lifelong dedication to what he called the “rights of man.”

Honoring Lafayette’s Values

The ceremony closed with a wreath-laying tribute honoring Lafayette’s transatlantic vision of freedom. Participants included members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, the Grand Lodge of New York’s Masonic delegation, and the Saratoga 250 Commission.

“This event worked beautifully because of the shared commitment from all our partners,” said Kelleher. “It flowed naturally, thanks to a deeply professional park staff.”

Ian Murray, Town of Saratoga Supervisor, emphasized the event’s significance for the local community. “This ceremony not only honored Lafayette’s remarkable legacy but reminded us that the Town of Saratoga remains a place where history is alive and meaningful. We’re proud to support efforts that connect our past to the future.”

A Semiquincentennial Moment

As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, the Saratoga 250 Commission continues to coordinate events that spotlight the diverse people and ideals that shaped the American Revolution. This weekend’s Lafayette commemoration served not only as a tribute to one of the Revolution’s most celebrated figures, but as a reminder that the fight for freedom—in 1777 and beyond—was global, inclusive, and deeply personal.

For more information and future events, visit saratoga250.com and go.nps.gov/saraevents

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Photo Credit: Aaron Shellow-Lavine / WAMC

Lauren Roberts has served as the Saratoga County Historian for 15 years.

As the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War quickly approaches, Roberts is hard at work promoting local celebrations and preparing for an influx in heritage tourists. Roberts says it’s also a great chance for locals to get in touch with the history in their backyards.

The Battle of Saratoga’s 250th anniversary is in 2027.

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BALLSTON SPA – A historical sewing session for reenactors and volunteers for the Saratoga 250th events at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.

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