Battlefield Research Blog Entry #12: Battle of Ridgefield Technical Report

Findings from Phase I research on the Battle of Ridgefield have been released as the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program 2022 Technical Report.

The Ridgefield Historical Society has chosen FHI Studio of Hartford to conduct two large public planning workshops — referred to as ‘charrettes’ — to engage Ridgefielders in the current and future efforts to document and preserve evidence of the 1777 Battle of Ridgefield. In these charrettes, 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.

Read more about the charrettes and RSVP here.

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In recognition of the national significance of the April 27, 1777 Battle of Ridgefield, the National Park Service (NPS), American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) awarded the Ridgefield Historical Society and the Connecticut State Office of Historic Preservation a Research and Documentation Grant to study the engagement. The scope of the grant includes renewed historical research efforts to reconstruct the Battle of Ridgefield, determine where actions occurred related to the battle, assess the integrity of contributing properties for a possible future archaeological survey, and build community support and seek landholder permissions. Ridgefield Historical Society staff and researchers from Heritage Consultants, LLC are documenting areas in town where fighting occurred in addition to the three most well-known engagements along Route 116 and Main Street. The research team mapped battle-related artifacts recently identified through historical research and public outreach efforts. The results suggest that skirmishing between British and American forces occurred throughout the day in areas well beyond the three famous engagements. With landholder permission, an archaeological survey of these newly identified areas could yield additional evidence of battle and enrich our understanding of what happened during the Battle of Ridgefield.