News
June 2, 2022NPS Press Release Schuyler House Opening June 10th
Saratoga National Historical Park is excited to announce the opening of the Schuyler House on June 10, 2022. The house will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through October 22. Tours will begin at 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, and 11:30 am. An open house period will follow from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Entrance is free, and the first floor is accessible for all visitors.
Saratoga National Historical Park preserves, protects, and interprets the sites associated with the battles, siege, and surrender of the British forces at Saratoga. The park encompasses five sites including the Saratoga Battlefield, General Philip Schuyler’s House, Victory Woods, the Saratoga Monument, and Sword Surrender Site totaling 3,579 acres. It was here in September and October 1777, during the American War for Independence, American troops battled and defeated the British invasion force. A British Army surrendered, for the first time in history, on October 17, 1777. This crucial victory secured essential foreign recognition and support and boosted the morale of the American forces making it a decisive moment in the American Revolution.
The Schuyler House was part of a working estate that was owned by the Schuyler family from 1702-1837. The current house was built by General Philip Schuyler (1733-1804), a significant figure in the American War for Independence and early U.S. politics, in late 1777 after his previous home was burned by retreating British soldiers. The Schuylers accumulated vast landholdings and wealth from lumber, grist, and linen mills, timber and fish harvesting, agricultural production, and leased farm lots. Prior to 1804, the estate was also home to dozens of men and women enslaved by the Schuylers to work in their various enterprises and support their lifestyle, here and at their mansion in Albany.
Visitors this season will enjoy extensive interior renovations to return the house closer to its late 18th, early 19th century appearance. The restoration and upkeep work includes updating exhibits with replica floor coverings, wallpaper, and furniture. Work will continue throughout the summer to repair and preserve some wooden decorative elements, the roof, and upgrades to the pathway from the parking area to the house for improved accessibility.
For more information about Saratoga National Historical Park, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 670-2985, visit www.nps.gov/sara, or find the park on Facebook or Twitter @SaratogaNHP.
