Two planning workshops will support Ridgefield Historical Society battleground studies

The Ridgefield Historical Society has chosen FHI Studio of Hartford to conduct two large public planning workshops to engage Ridgefielders in the current and future efforts to document and preserve evidence of the 1777 Battle of Ridgefield. The only inland engagement of the Revolutionary War in Connecticut the Battle is notable for many reasons, with more details being discovered even now, nearly 250 years after the fighting ended.

Through a two-year grant from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program, the Historical Society hired Heritage Consultants LLC to begin a comprehensive assessment of the areas where fighting occurred. Mapping of the battlefield is an essential part of the work, which will include a final report this fall that brings together details and sources of information to guide researchers in the next phases of discovering the Battle of Ridgefield’s place in history.

Looking ahead is what FHI Studio will help Ridgefielders to do, in the two “charrettes,” or public planning workshops in late spring of 2022. Townspeople will be given information on what the researchers have discovered and will be asked to consider how Ridgefield can continue to research and protect this important part of its history. In the current first grant period, the emphasis has been on gathering documentation and establishing battlefield parameters. 

The Historical Society anticipates seeking further NPS support that will enable archaeological studies in areas of town known to have been part of the battleground. There has been a small amount of preliminary work already and property owner permissions are being solicited.

For information, visit the Ridgefield Historical Society’s website or email bor.grant@ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org.

 

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Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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