Stony Point Battlefield is a historic site in

Rockland County, New York Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is about from the Bronx at their closest points. The county's population, as of t ...

; the location of the 1779

Battle of Stony Point The Battle of Stony Point took place on July 16, 1779, during the American Revolutionary War. In a well-planned and -executed nighttime attack, a highly trained select group of George Washington's Continental Army troops under the command of Bri ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. It is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

and has a museum.

History

The site was purchased and preserved in the late 1890s, and opened to the public in 1902. A flying stunt was flown during the July 16, 1929 sesquicentennial of the Stony Point Battlefield, in front of a crowd of over 8,000 dignitaries. A number of traditional military units were on display, including the US Horse Artillery, the

First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, also known as the First City Troop, is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. It is one of the oldest military units in the United States still in active service and is among the most decorat ...

and various infantry army and National Guard units. In comparison to these 18th and 19th century horse and foot-transportation methods, "A modern feature was the flying over the battlefield during the exercises, of an airplane piloted by Mrs.

Opal Kunz Opal Kunz (November 6, 1894 – May 15, 1967) was an early American aviator, the chief organizer of the Betsy Ross Air Corps, and a charter member of the Ninety-Nines organization of women pilots. In 1930, she became the first woman pilot to r ...

, who dropped an American flag." "During the ceremonies, Mrs. Kunz flew alone from the Newark, NJ Airport, in her airplane, the '

Betsy Ross Elizabeth Griscom Ross (née Griscom;Addie Guthrie Weaver, ''"The Story of Our Flag..."'', 2nd Edition, A. G. Weaver, publ., 1898, p. 73 January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836), also known by her second and third married names, Ashburn an ...

' over Stony Point, and from an altitude of 1,000 feet dropped several hundred small American flags, and also a larger one, weighted, which fell upon the battlefield." A museum was built on the site in 1936, and in the 1940s the

Palisades Interstate Park Commission The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 by Governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the quarrying operations along the Palisades Cliffs of New Jersey. The Palisades, a Na ...

took over administration of the battlefield and began to acquire more of the surrounding area. It was declared a

in 1961. and The Stony Point Battlefield along with

DeWint House The DeWint House, in Tappan, New York, is one of the oldest surviving structures in Rockland County and is an outstanding example of Hudson Valley Dutch Colonial Revival architecture, Dutch Colonial architecture. It was built using brick and indi ...

in Tappan and Blauvelt House in New City are the only places in

Rockland County Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is about from the Bronx at their closest points. The county's population, as of th ...

designated as New York State
Paths through History
sites. By the 1980s, the park encompassed all public land on the peninsula, including the historic Stony Point Lighthouse, built in 1826. The site is now operated as Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site, and includes the museum with exhibits about the battle and the lighthouse. The park offers interpretive programs including 18th century military life, cannon and musket firings, cooking demonstrations, nature walks, guided tours of the battlefield, and children's activities. Artist

Lee Woodward Zeigler Lee Woodward Zeigler, also known as Albert Lee Zeigler, (May 7, 1868—June 16, 1952) was an American artist who began his career as an illustrator and later worked as a muralist. Early life and education Born Albert Lee Zeigler, on May 7, 1 ...

worked for the

Federal Emergency Relief Administration The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) was a program established by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, building on the Hoover administration's Emergency Relief and Construction Act. It was replaced in 1935 by the Works Progress Adm ...

(FERA) and painted two murals c.1936 at the Stony Point Battlefield museum in Stony Point, New York, one of which features

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and

Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...

planning their attack from nearby Buckberg Mountain. The park is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is accessible from

U.S. Route 9W U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...

just north of the Village of Stony Point.

References

External links

Point Battlefield State Historic Site, at NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic PreservationNew York State Paths through History designation
{{Protected areas of New York American Revolutionary War sites New York (state) in the American Revolution National Historic Landmarks in New York (state) New York (state) historic sites Museums in Rockland County, New York American Revolutionary War museums in New York (state) Military and war museums in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Rockland County, New York

History

See also

References

External links