RIDGEFIELD, Conn. – The Ridgefield Historical Society has received a $35,000 implementation grant from Connecticut Humanities to support the production of The Battle of Ridgefield: A New Look at 250, a new documentary that will bring Ridgefield’s Revolutionary War story to life for America’s 250th anniversary.
The film being produced by Alan Ginsberg of Lixi Studios will explore the 1777 Battle of Ridgefield, Connecticut’s only inland battle of the Revolutionary War, and the remarkable new archaeological and forensic discoveries that are changing what we know about this important Revolutionary War engagement. Through the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, the Ridgefield Historical Society has been leading archaeological research that has uncovered new evidence of the battle, including musket balls, uniform buttons, and other artifacts connected to the fighting.
The film will feature battlefield archaeologists, forensic scientists, metal detectorists, historians, and community voices as they explain how new discoveries are reshaping our understanding of Ridgefield’s role in the American Revolution. When complete, the documentary will serve as an educational resource for schools and a lasting record of this important moment in Ridgefield’s history.
“This documentary gives us an extraordinary opportunity to share Ridgefield’s Revolutionary War story with a much wider audience,” said James Segelstein, Ridgefield Historical Society Board Member and Executive Producer of the documentary. “The new archaeological and forensic discoveries are revealing a more vivid and complex understanding of what happened here in 1777, and this film will help ensure that this history is preserved and shared for generations to come.”
The Ridgefield Historical Society has so far raised $106,000 to produce the documentary and continues to raise funds to support its production and broad distribution. Donations will help cover research, filming, editing, post-production, public screenings, online access, educational outreach, marketing, and distribution.
“We are deeply grateful to Connecticut Humanities for this generous support,” said Stephen Bartkus, Executive Director of the Ridgefield Historical Society. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Battle, this grant helps us bring forward Ridgefield’s powerful Revolutionary War history to a wider audience at this historic milestone. We are now asking the community to help us raise the final amount needed to complete the documentary and share this important story with viewers in Ridgefield and beyond.”
Community members, businesses, and organizations are invited to support the documentary campaign, and donations of all sizes are welcome. Every contribution of $100 or more will be recognized in the film credits. Supporting Sponsors contributing $2,500 will receive recognition in the film’s closing credits, on the Historical Society’s website, social media, and email communications, along with two tickets to the Ridgefield premiere. Community Sponsors contributing $5,000 will receive all Supporting Sponsor benefits, plus enhanced recognition, including prominent logo placement in the documentary’s opening credits, on promotional materials, eblasts, social media, and the documentary webpage, acknowledgment in statewide publicity and at the premiere, and ten reserved premiere tickets. Lead Sponsors contributing $10,000 will receive the highest level of recognition, including all Supporting and Community Sponsor benefits, plus twenty priority premiere tickets, and several exclusive experiences, including dinner with a battlefield historian, a private guided battlefield tour, a behind-the-scenes viewing of archaeological artifacts, and a private illustrated presentation for employees, clients, or invited guests. Lead Sponsors will also receive a framed canvas reproduction of Dale Gallon’s Farmers Against the Crown and a signed copy of Keith Marshall Jones III’s book The Battle of Ridgefield.
To support the documentary, visit the GoFundMe campaign here: https://gofund.me/ecba01a73
Checks can also be mailed to the Ridgefield Historical Society at 4 Sunset Lane, Ridgefield, CT 06877.
Contact the Ridgefield Historical Society for more information at [email protected], 203-438-5821 or www.ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org
About Ridgefield Historical Society
Founded in 2001 to save the 1714 David Scott House, the Ridgefield Historical Society (RHS) is an independent 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and fostering public knowledge of Ridgefield’s historical, cultural, and architectural heritage. The Historical Society maintains state-of-the-art archives, which serve as the principal repository for Ridgefield’s historic documents, images, and artifacts and provides educational opportunities for all ages, both online and in-person, and serves the community at three sites: the 1714 David Scott House, the 1756 Peter Parley Schoolhouse, and the 1872 Branchville Schoolhouse,. Learn more by visiting www.ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org
About Connecticut Humanities
Connecticut Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting www.cthumanities.org.
Support provided by CT Humanities as part of its America 250 | CT program.
