December 19, 2024

“Saratoga Surrender Site” just off Route 4 in the town of Saratoga on Dec. 18, 2024 – one of the sites comprising Saratoga National Historical/ Battlefield Park. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

Original Source: Saratoga TODAY newspaper

SARATOGA — With Paris Hilton present in the House Chamber gallery supporting an unrelated cause, the House of Representatives on Dec. 17 approved an original Saratoga County Board of Supervisors request to rename the Saratoga National Historical Park as the Saratoga National Battlefield Park.

“That was the original park’s name and a unique identifier,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett said during the board’s approval of the resolution during its meeting in June, requesting the U.S. Congress and the National Park Service consider the name change as the park commemorates the Battles of Saratoga.

“The term ‘Battlefield’ more accurately reflects the historical significance of the site, emphasizing the crucial military engagements that took place (and) will enhance public understanding and appreciation of its historical importance,” stated the measure.

The site was originally named the Saratoga Battlefield Park, but “battlefield” was left off when it became a national park in the late 1930s.

“We believe that is a prudent step to provide tourists and visitors with something more obvious to review and know relating to the description of the park itself,” said Barrett, after the Supervisors’ 20-0 vote was approved to send the request off to Congress.

“I am proud to see my legislation renaming this historic site ‘Saratoga National Battlefield Park’ pass the House today with bipartisan support,” Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said, speaking on the House Floor Dec. 17 while advocating for the Strengthening America’s Turning Point Act bill to rename Saratoga National Historical Park to Saratoga National Battlefield Park. “This change will more accurately reflect the historical significance of the site as the turning point in the Revolutionary War and one of the most decisive American battles of the American Revolution.”

Stefanik introduced the bill to The House in July on behalf of herself and Congressman Paul Tonko.

Currently, Stefanik currently represents New York’s 21st Congressional District, which this most recent election cycle – slated to go into effect Jan. 20, 2025 – included the town of Saratoga in the 21st district. The town of Saratoga is where the majority of the handful of Saratoga National Historical Park sites are located – Victory Woods, Saratoga Monument, Surrender Site, and Schuyler House, among them.  

Tonko represents New York’s 20th Congressional District – which includes the battlefield location in Stillwater

 The bill, H.R. 8931, anticipates the renaming to be inclusive of those handful of Saratoga National Historical Park sites, not just the battlefield. 

History tells us American troops engaged in combat with the British army at Freeman’s Farm in September 1777, and at Bemis Heights a few weeks later. Overall, approximately 22,000 forces engaged in the battles with nearly 1,500 estimated casualties, according to the American Battlefield Trust. The American victory persuaded France to sign a treaty with the United States against Britain.

The year 2027 will mark the 250th anniversary of the battles at Saratoga, two battles which historians have called the turning point of the American Revolution. 

The Board of Supervisors resolution specified no budget impact would be felt at the county level related to the renaming. It is not known what costs may be incurred overall related to potential new signage, letterhead or other necessary material changes, or who will pay for them. An inquiry was sent to the National Park Service requesting information related to those potential costs.

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October 21, 2024

Local residents and students gathered in Fort Hardy Park October 17th for a Surrender Day celebration. Photo by Aaron Shellow-Lavine / WAMC.

Original Source: WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Schuylerville residents celebrated the “turning point” of the American Revolution on Thursday, almost 250 years later.

October 17th marks “Surrender Day” in the Saratoga County village. British General John Burgoyne led his troops to surrender against the Continental Army in 1777.

It ended the British attempt to control the Hudson River Valley and the victory secured French support of the colonies.

“So, it was a day like this in 1777. The British had a horrible stay in Saratoga. It was a week of wet. They were cold, they were miserable, they didn’t have enough supplies so they were hungry. They described horses going around looking like living skeletons. And then today is similar because on October 17^th, 1777, it was a bright, sunny day,” said Sean Kelleher.

Town of Saratoga historian Sean Kelleher is wearing a blue and white cotton coat and tricorn hat — dressed as American General Horatio Gates.

He’s standing on the bank of Fort Hardy Park and the morning fog is still lifting off the Hudson behind him.

“It’s very special because this is how we build stewards for our community. The Battle of Saratoga is considered the ‘turning point’ of the American Revolution. It’s one of the most significant battles in American history. But, as Americans what makes it really important is that the Declaration of Independence was just words on a piece of paper until it was made a great fact here at Saratoga where for the first time a complete British Army surrendered. So, it’s great that we’re celebrating this in this community, and our plans are just to improve the celebrations especially as we head toward our 250th anniversary,” said Kelleher.

The Capital Region and the Northeast at large are planning for an increase in heritage tourism as the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution approaches.

The nearby Saratoga National Historical Park drew more than 100,000 visitors in 2023, and county leaders continue to fund 250th anniversary initiatives.

Groups of students are walking from the Schuylerville Central School just down the road. Saratoga County Historian Lauren Roberts wants to expand today’s program to more schools.

“It’s an experience. It’s being on the ground where history happened, it’s out of the classroom, it’s looking at the Hudson River behind you and knowing that a really important world event happened here. So, if you can impress upon kids at a young age: it’s here because people that came before them have preserved it and that’s what we want to impress upon them that not it’s our turn and the legacy continues. Depending on how they feel and how they treat their history, if they’re proud of where they’re from and what happened here, if they continue to tell the stories and learn more about it, then it helps history going forward,” said Roberts.

The program includes speeches from local officials and students, 13 apple cider toasts, a reenactment of the surrender,

“He returned my sword but he’s keeping my army,” said Bruce Venter.

And a live cannon.

It’s one of teacher Peter Carner’s favorite days of the year. He’s a history buff.

“I was going to say the kids love the cannon, obviously, but for these guys in seeing the people that reenact in their attire, having the kids come in with the muskets really puts it into perspective and puts it real for them. So, it’s not just something they read about in books, they’re seeing it and talking to the people so, that makes it real life. It’s very easy to teach fourth grade history in Schuylerville,” said Carner.

His students have a harder time picking their favorite part of the morning.

The Campaign for Saratoga 250 is unveiling an educational kiosk at Trieble Park in Ballston Spa October 26^th.

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October 17, 2024

Photo by Doug Menuez.

Original Source: American Battlefield Trust

As you all well know, from initial discussions with landowners until transfer of properties to NPS, preservation can be a lengthy process — years if not decades. That’s what makes this recent transfer so special.

Since completing the purchase of these two tracts of land that border the Saratoga National Historical Park as far back as 2018, the Trust has acted as their steward. A 2021 minor adjustment to the park’s boundary cleared the way for the land to become federally owned and today we are excited to announce that more than 25 acres of hallowed ground now belongs to the American people — all thanks to you!

We simply cannot thank our donors and friends enough for making this work possible.

The Battles of Saratoga

Saratoga, where British and American forces clashed on September 19 and October 7, 1777, is considered by historians to be the turning point of the Revolutionary War. The battles saw to the first-ever surrender of a British field army, which helped to seal the alliance between the new American nation and France. Amid commemorations of the 247th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga, the American Battlefield Trust is thrilled to have helped preserve over 25 acres of these hallowed grounds.

The land itself that has been transferred over to the National Park Services sits on the heights overlooking the Fish Kill, contains American artillery emplacements, and represents the southern segment of the siege line between the fighting for Bemis Heights and the ultimate surrender of the British Army. It also served as the staging area for the October 11 attempt to attack British positions, although the American attack force was recalled while crossing the river.

Like the battles that helped seal the patriot victory in the Revolutionary War, it is thanks to you that this iconic moment in American history will be preserved. Forever.

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Photo by Emma Ralls – MediaNews Group. See photo on saratogian.com.

Original Source: The Saratogian

SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. — As part of Saratoga Siege Weekend, a grand opening was held for the “American Revolution Experience,” a national traveling exhibit that showcases diverse perspectives of common people in the lead-up to and during the United States War for Independence.

“We’re the epicenter where everything happened, this is the home team, the home field. You have to get involved in this because this is where everything starts,” Town of Saratoga Supervisor Ian Murray shared regarding events like the exhibit’s opening.

“I just feel very fortunate to be living in this town and then also being the supervisor to help guide this town in protecting the history. I feel very honored to be honest with you because when I went to school here, I didn’t realize it like growing up but everything happened back and forth, going from Fort Hardy to the battlefield and stuff like that, and it really starts to come home to you that it is on all the land that we farmed and we played on, and everything else like that.

“It’s just an honor, and that’s why you have to just get into the game and be part of it.”

The exhibit features 12 panels featuring stories leading up to the revolution, taken from primary source documentation and objects that were in the collection of the Daughters of the American Revolution. There are also kiosks here where visitors can find more information.

“It’s been a relatively easy process, with the whole point of this exhibit being that it travels around the nation and reaches as many places as possible,” Saratoga County Historian and Saratoga 250 Chair Lauren Roberts said. “They tried to make it as portable as possible, so you don’t need to have a whole team of people that can move things in and out, which is very nice.

“The more accessible the exhibit the better.”

The exhibit produced by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Battlefield Trust will be available for viewing within the America’s Turning Point Heritage Center, located in the same building as the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitor Center, 30 Ferry St. in Schuylerville through Oct. 27.

The event was one of many that went on during Saratoga Siege Weekend, which encouraged the community to experience the revolutionary history of the Saratoga region through demonstrations, historical encampments and immersive experiences spread out between five locations.

The location in which the exhibit opens is significant because while it is in Schuylerville it will reside in what is to be the home base of the Saratoga 250 team. According to Murray with the build-up to the 250th anniversary in 2027 and not having the space at the county, Murrary inquired to County Administrator Steve Bulger about setting something up in that space.

“It used to be the old town hall that was here, and then it was sold to the Hudson-Hoosic Partnership and they developed and built this post and beam building — but this downstairs was never utilized,” Murray explained. “We got a committee together, we started talking about it and we leased the space.

“This is going to be our home base for everything here. Which is great.”

There are hopes that this space can continue to host interactive community events, including potentially housing a county cannon. Roberts made note that several historically significant events took place off of the park service properties and this new space can serve as a venue to talk about that as well as house technology to aid in education efforts.

“We now have this space in Schuylerville and with our American Battlefield Protection Program grant money, we’re going to be able to have some really cool digital technology. We’re planning on a map projection table where people can come and take a look at the different stories we’re telling, choose which ones appeal to them, and it’ll actually send GPS to their phone, and then they can go out to the actual spaces where history happens.

“Having a home base, having an actual location, allows us to do lectures and workshops and things of that nature. You really need a space where people can come and gather. First of all to build ideas — we need to know what that schedule is going to look like, who are the players, who wants to be involved and how the community sees themselves in the 250th and so it gives us a place to do that, but also to be open to the public where they can come and hear these stories and learn about their history.”

It is Roberts’s hope, as well as that of the whole 250th commission, that things such as this new exhibit, siege weekend and other events in the same vein expose more people to the history right at their fingertips – especially with such a big milestone of history on the horizon.

“Sometimes, when you drive by the same streets you’ve seen the same signs over and over, you get a little jaded, but when you can properly get inspired by some new exhibit like this, and then go back out and revisit that spaces by the battlefield or the sign in the parking lot that you drove by a million times when you were getting coffee never really paid attention to,  that’s what we’re hoping, basically.

“I think getting feet on the ground here is one of the first steps.”

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September 26, 2024

WASHINGTON, DC — Saratoga County was recently awarded $200,000 for a Battlefield Interpretation Grants (BIG) project, Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) announced in a press release. He advocated to the National Park Service for Saratoga County to receive this funding for the implementation of technology to establish new, immersive exhibits that will interpret the figures and events that took place during the American Revolution, the release said.

Original Source: The Saratogian

By Saratogian staff

UPDATED: September 26, 2024 at 6:22 a.m.

WASHINGTON — Saratoga County was recently awarded $200,000 for a Battlefield Interpretation Grants (BIG) project, Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) announced in a press release.

He advocated to the National Park Service for Saratoga County to receive this funding for the implementation of technology to establish new, immersive exhibits that will interpret the figures and events that took place during the American Revolution, the release said.

“As we rapidly approach the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga, our region will receive national and international attention and increased awareness of its role and importance in the war for our nation’s independence,” Tonko said in the release. “The grant to Saratoga County will help to better tell that rich local history from diverse new perspectives, which is why I pushed to deliver this federal funding.

“I’m thrilled that this support has been secured,” he continued, “and I won’t stop working to strengthen our national parks so they can continue to foster a sense of place and connection to our communities and to the story of our nation.”

“The National Park Service Battlefield Interpretation Grant will assist with promotion, education, and appreciation of the important role our area played in the American Revolution,” Phil Barrett, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman said in the release. “We will also improve infrastructure dedicated to our historic sites and increase heritage tourism as we approach the 250th Anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga.

“We are grateful to Congressman Tonko for his support of Saratoga County’s America’s Turning Point initiative.”

“These grant funds from the National Park Service will help the County tell the stories of the Battles of Saratoga to a new generation and reignite enthusiasm for our area’s revolutionary history through interactive experiences that merge modern technology with compelling true accounts of the past,” Lauren Roberts, Saratoga County Historian and Chair of the Saratoga County 250th American Revolution Commission said in the release. “We thank the National Park Service for this grant and Congressman Tonko for his support of Saratoga County’s America’s Turning Point initiative, which aims to transform heritage tourism in our region.”

Visit nps.gov/articles/000/turning-point-american-revolution-revisiting-legacy-saratoga-campaign.html to learn more about the Saratoga County projec

Tonko has long been an advocate and champion for the preservation of the rich heritage of the Capital Region and the nation, the release said. Last Congress, he authored the National Heritage Area Act that reauthorizes all Heritage Areas for the next 15 years and establishes clear, transparent standards that make it easier for communities and local partnerships to develop and maintain the Heritage Areas they cherish. That bill was signed into law in 2023.

Saratoga is one of a handful of BIG projects awarded across the country to promote a broad and inclusive stewardship of battlefields and sites of armed conflict on American soil, the release said. Funding for these grants is provided through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to help strengthen conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation without spending taxpayer dollars.

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September 20, 2024

BALLSTON SPA— With an eye on establishing a centrally located and easily accessible tourism destination in advance of a major regional upcoming anniversary, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 17 unanimously approved a cooperative agreement to lease the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors Center in Schuylerville to serve as a gateway for Saratoga’s 250th Anniversary Campaign.

Original Source: Saratoga TODAY newspaper

BALLSTON SPA— With an eye on establishing a centrally located and easily accessible tourism destination in advance of a major regional upcoming anniversary, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 17 unanimously approved a cooperative agreement to lease the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors Center in Schuylerville to serve as a gateway for Saratoga’s 250th Anniversary Campaign. 

Referred to historians as the “turning point of the American Revolution,” the campaign marks the 250th anniversary of the 1777 battles at Saratoga, and the subsequent sword surrender (in the village of Victory) and British Troop surrender (in the village of Schuylerville). 

The grounds where those latter two events took place are each located within walking distance of the Visitors Center – which is owned by the Historic Hudson – Hoosic Rivers Partnership, a regional economic development organization.

[…]

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September 20, 2024

Saratoga County will use its grant to install new waysides and interactive map tables and highlight lesser-known events and perspectives of the battles of Freeman’s Farm and Bemus Heights.

Original Source: Spectrum News

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE OVERVIEW OF THE SARATOGA COUNTY WINNING GRANT & ITS USES

Recipient: County of Saratoga (Saratoga County, NY)
Amount: $200,000.00

A distortion of its Haudenosaunee name, possibly meaning “the hillside country of the quiet river,” modern-day Saratoga County is located just north of Albany, New York, and was a vital crossroad during the second year of the American Revolutionary War. Positioned between Lake George and the Hudson River, the relatively open land of this region connects what were two vital transportation routes during the 1700s. Waterborne highways that allowed for the rapid transfer of troops and supplies by boat.

Using the financial support of a Battlefield Interpretation Grant, Saratoga County will implement an innovative interpretation plan to enhance visitor engagement at sites relating to the Saratoga Campaign of 1777. By installing new waysides, interactive map tables, and providing augmented reality experiences, the County intends to highlight lesser-known events and perspectives of the battles of Freeman’s Farm and Bemis Heights. Including stories from American Patriots, Loyalists, German Mercenaries, and Native Tribes involved in the conflict.

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September 13, 2024

The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is two years away, and officials and organizations throughout Saratoga County have been busy preparing for the milestone.

Original Source: WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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September 5, 2024

Original Source: The Saratogian

A new National Park Service report shows that 102.000 visitors to Saratoga National Historical Park in 2023 spent $6.8 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 85 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $9 million. The National Park Service report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks. This spending supported 415,400 jobs, provided $19.4 billion in labor income and $55.6 in economic output to the U.S. economy.

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August 09, 2024

The Saratoga 250 Commission is using augmented reality and 3D animations of historic figures to help bring the “turning point” of the American Revolution to life.

Original Source: Saratoga Today

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Benedict Arnold stood tall next to the water cooler in the Saratoga TODAY newsroom as he expressed his eagerness to repel British advances at the upcoming Battles of Saratoga. Or at least that’s how it looked on one reporter’s cell phone.

The Saratoga 250 Commission is using augmented reality and 3D animations of historic figures to help bring the “turning point” of the American Revolution to life. Upon downloading an app, cell phone users can “see” these animated characters standing in front of them via their phone’s camera. The characters then deliver first-person testimonies of their roles in the Battles of Saratoga, presenting history in an entertaining and technologically advanced fashion.

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