Saratoga Battlefield: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Saratoga National Historical Park
Commisso M and Nowak L. 2026. Saratoga Battlefield: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Saratoga National Historical Park. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 650053. National Park Service. NPS Northeast Regional Office, Boston, Massachusetts / CRIS-CL Database
Saratoga Battlefield, the largest of five cultural landscapes that comprise Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, New York, preserves the sites of two decisive American Revolutionary War battles between British and American forces in the autumn of 1777. It is widely documented that the American victory at Saratoga changed the momentum of the war, after which crucial support from the French was secured. The site has long been recognized as hallowed ground. Commemorative efforts by private citizens commenced shortly after the battles, culminating in the battlefield’s designation as a state-managed property in 1927, and later as a National Historical Park in 1938. The battlefield currently encompasses approximately 3,400 acres, with 2,886 acres under federal ownership, and features a patchwork of fields and forests set upon rolling landforms, representing the broad patterns of the agricultural landscape that were present in 1777. Built features are scarce on the battlefield, with the Neilson House as the only remaining building that dates to the time of the battles, although many historic road traces cross the landscape. The most dominant built feature is the tour road, a nine-mile, one-way loop dating to the 1960s that connects to points of interest throughout the battlefield, including the numerous commemorative monuments and memorials. Several tour stops along the road offer striking views of the Hudson River, while the visitor center offers expansive eastward views of the battlefield. There are also several remnants of the Old Champlain Canal.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Commisso, Michael; Nowak, Lisa (Oudemool)
- Date of Issue
- 2026
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- NER , SARA
- Keywords
- 1860-1900: Memorials to the Revolution, Agricultural Field, Archeology, Architecture, Battle Site, Canal, Canals, commemorative, Conservation, Developing the American Economy, Expressing Cultural Values, Federal Government Enters the Movement, Historic Preservation, historic site, Historic-Aboriginal, Historic-Non-Aboriginal, Military, Monument (Marker/Plaque), NPS Class III Special Purpose Road, NPS Mission 66, Other, Prehistoric, Recreation/Culture-Other, Regional Efforts: Mid-Atlantic States, Saratoga Battle Field, Saratoga National Historical Park, Shaping the Political Landscape, Shipping and Transportation by Water, Single Family House, The American Revolution, Transforming the Environment, Transportation, Vernacular architecture, War in the North