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Palisades Parks Conservancy Celebrates Revolutionary War History with Symbolic Beacon Lighting
Light displays to light up Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area on 225th anniversary of evacuation by British troops
On November 25, 2008, to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the evacuation of the United States of America by British troops, the Palisades Parks Conservancy, in collaboration with the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, Scenic Hudson, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and Palisades Interstate Park Commission will symbolically light five beacon sites that replicate the original signal locations used by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. These vital systems summoned the militia in both New York and in neighboring New Jersey and warned residents of the approaching British Redcoats. The types of beacons varied from tar barrels on top of poles, to pyramids, to wooden towers filled with dried grass or hay that could be ignited. The beacons enabled quick and effective communication with troops throughout the lower Hudson River Valley.
Instead of lighting fires, Palisades, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, and Scenic Hudson will create a symbolic Xenon light display that will light up Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area from Bear Mountain State Park to Beacon. This project is also part of the larger interstate effort with national heritage area partners in New Jersey, the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. Six additional Beacons will be lit in New Jersey. The total project area will stretch from Princeton, NJ to Beacon, NY. The lighting will take place from 5-9pm.
New York's landscape, people, and natural resources directly affected the course of our nation's struggle for independence. Without the Hudson River Valley, victory might not have been achieved. During the Revolutionary War, this region was the setting for many important events and strategic conflicts: the battles of Forts Clinton and Montgomery and Stony Point, as well as the fortification of West Point and the Hudson River chain. It is also home to General George Washington's headquarters and the Revolutionary War peace monument, the "Tower of Victory" in Newburgh, the New Windsor Cantonment, and Knox's Headquarters in Vail Gate, all National Historic Landmarks. Of immense importance, General Washington spent a year and a half here in this strategic location planning the eventual outcome of the war.
Countless men and women from this region proudly served, hoping for freedom, liberty, and sovereignty. By helping protect, unite and advance these sites, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, Scenic Hudson, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, are expanding the public's knowledge about the people, places, and events that transformed American history.
Five locations in New York State will be used to commemorate this important event in American history. These locations are Bear Mountain State Park, Bear Mountain; Storm King Mountain State Park, Cornwall; Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, Newburgh; Scenic Hudson's Mount Beacon, Beacon and Scenic Hudson's Spy Rock (Snake Hill), New Windsor.
The five locations were selected because they stretch across a significant section of the Hudson Valley National Heritage Area. In addition to the historical significance of the locations, they also highlight important parts of our landscape that have been preserved through both public and private efforts
For more information about this project, please contact Susan Smith, Palisades Parks Conservancy, 845-786-2701, ext. 239, Mark Castiglione, Hudson Valley Greenway, 518- 473-3835, and/or Jay Burgess, Scenic Hudson, 845 473 4440, Ext. 222.
The Palisades Parks Conservancy, the charitable partner of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, is a non-profit corporation exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are welcome and are tax-deductible. Contributions should be sent to the Palisades Parks Conservancy, Administration Building, Bear Mountain, NY 10911 USA, 845-786-2701, or you can use the secure Web site link found at www.palisadesparksconservancy.org.
Palisades Interstate Park Commission administers 29 parks, parkways, and historic sites for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in New York as well as the Palisades Interstate Park and parkway in New Jersey.
The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area was established by Congress in 1996 to recognize, preserve and interpret the nationally significant historical, cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley region. Encompassing four million acres, the Heritage Area follows 154 miles of the Hudson River including highlands, rolling countryside and scenic shoreline. The area extends from just north of Manhattan to the Capital Region near Albany. The roots of American landscape art, architecture, early settlements of the Dutch and French Huguenots, and major Revolutionary War sites can all be found in the Heritage Area. The Heritage Area is managed by the Hudson River Valley Greenway. For more information see www.hudsonrivervalley.com
Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. Through environmental advocacy, Scenic Hudson views our natural environment as an irreplaceable source of spiritual and artistic vitality and that it must be preserved forever. For more information, please visit: http:// www.scenichudson.org
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 178 state parks, 35 historic sites, and 77 developed beaches. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518- 474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com.
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