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. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population is 338,329, making it the state' ...

; the location of the 1779

Battle of Stony Point A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. It is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

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

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 in Tappan and Blauvelt House in New City are the only places in Rockland County 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 worked for the

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

(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 (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and

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

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 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