Saratoga Battefield_2208
News

Management of OSI’s Saratoga Surrender Site Added to Saratoga National Historical Park

Image Credit: Ted Spiegel

Saratoga, NY (September 23, 2021)— The Open Space Institute (OSI) today announced that management of its popular Saratoga Surrender Site has been transferred to the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the Saratoga National Historical Park. The property includes the site where the British Army surrendered during the 1777 Battle of Saratoga, an event that is considered the turning point in the American Revolutionary War.

While OSI maintains ownership of the nearly 19-acre Saratoga Surrender Site, an agreement grants the NPS management control of the property, which will continue to be accessible for public use, education, and enjoyment. The property is located in the Town of Saratoga, just a half mile south of Schuylerville on U.S. Route 4 and is open to visitors from dawn to dusk throughout the year.

For more than two decades, OSI has worked in the Saratoga County landscape to protect the historic site, its viewshed, and the important farmland that has supported its community for hundreds of years. Since 1996, OSI has protected more than 9,000 acres in Saratoga County and nearly 2,500 acres in and around the Saratoga Battlefield National Historic Park, including over 170 acres within the National Park boundary, Saratoga Sod Farm, and the Saratoga Surrender Site.

OSI worked in partnership with the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield to develop a plan for the site and create the Saratoga Surrender Site Memorial Park at the exact spot of the surrender. Additional visitor amenities for the site were donated by the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield.

“Saratoga Battlefield National Historical Park is one of our nation’s most valuable historic resources. OSI is proud to have protected this significant, storied, and visually stunning acreage and is pleased to have turned day-to-day management of the Saratoga Surrender Site over to the National Park Service,” said Kim Elliman, OSI’s president and CEO. “Thanks to our current management partnership with the National Park Service, and the significant effort of the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield to raise the funds for and install the amenities at the site, this scenic property will be maintained forever.”

“The Saratoga Surrender Site marks what is recognized as the turning point of the American Revolutionary War. It is located nine miles north of the Saratoga Battlefield Park, where the American army and militia stopped the British’s attempted retreat to Canada. The surrender is the first time in history that the British army surrendered on the battlefield and the surrendered artillery was vital to suppling the Continental Army,” said Brian Mumford, President of the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield (FOSB). “OSI’s partnership with the FOSB to develop the memorial site and OSI’s transfer of the management of this parcel to the National Parks Service is a welcomed addition to the enrichment the Park offers.”

"The National Park Service is honored to work with OSI, the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield, and the generous support of the local community to preserve the Saratoga Surrender Site as a part of an ongoing effort to protect the hallowed grounds of the Battles of Saratoga and the Saratoga Siegefield. Having this site as a part of Saratoga National Historical Park is key in preserving and interpreting this important cultural landscape for future generations,” said Leslie Morlock, Superintendent of Saratoga National Historical Park.

The Saratoga Surrender Site is the property where British General John Burgoyne surrendered his army to American General Horatio Gates on October 17, 1777. The surrender bolstered the confidence of the colonies in their battle of independence from the British and marked a sea change in international support for the colonials. The event is considered by many to be the turning point of the American Revolution.

Saratoga County is one of the most rapidly growing counties in New York and development pressures increasingly threaten farmland and undisturbed wooded areas. For more than two decades, OSI has worked in the Saratoga County landscape to protect the historic sites, viewsheds, and important farmland that has been the hallmark of the community for hundreds of years.

About OSI

The Open Space Institute protects scenic, natural, and historic landscapes to provide public enjoyment, conserve habitat and working lands, and sustain communities. Founded in 1974 to protect significant landscapes in New York State, OSI has been a partner in the protection of nearly 2.3 million acres in North America.

What You Can Do

Donate to support OSI’s work

Become a part of our mission to safeguard at-risk places through your tax-deductible gift.

Donate

Subscribe to our newsletter

We get in touch once a month with our most important news, stories, and updates.

Subscribe