A misty morning at Bemis Heights, Saratoga National Historical Park / NPS file

Saratoga National Historical Park in upstate New York has gained a bit more than 25 acres on the heights overlooking the Fish Kill and containing a majority of the American artillery emplacements that represented the central segment of the siege line between the fighting for Bemis Heights and the ultimate surrender of the British Army.

Donated by the American Battlefield Trust, the acreage is expected to enable the park to deepen its interpretive offerings, particularly related to the siege that occurred between the opening and concluding battles of this month-long engagement. Saratoga, considered by historians to be the turning point of the Revolutionary War, saw the first-ever surrender of a British field army, which helped to seal the alliance between the new American nation and France.

“The American Battlefield Trust has committed itself to protecting 2,500 acres of important Revolutionary War battlefield land by the conclusion of the conflict’s 250th anniversary,” said Trust President David Duncan. “Our successful purchase and transfer of these properties to Saratoga National Historical Park epitomize the meaningful work we hope this goal will enable.”

From initial discussions with landowners until transfer of properties to NPS, preservation can be a lengthy process, and the journey for these two parcels began back in 2018. Since completing the purchase of these properties, 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.

The land transfer is just one way that the Saratoga region is marking the month of the battle’s anniversary. The American Revolution Experience, a collaborative project of the American Battlefield Trust and the Daughters of the American Revolution, will be on display at the Champlain Canal Regional Gateway Visitor Center through October 28 in Schuylerville, NY. 

The innovative pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation.