The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced that part of Horse Island will be officially protected government land, becoming part of the Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site in Jefferson County.
The land, 24 acres and nearly all of the island, is the site of a battle during the War of 1812 between the British and American armies. It was also significant as it was the naval and military center for the upper St. Lawrence Valley and Lake Ontario American forces. A battle on May 29, 1813, resulted in the Americans saving Horse Island from an attempted water invasion.
“The sire is crucial to telling the full story of the Battle of Sackets Harbor. Acquiring the island will forever protect the viewshed of the existing historic site from development, bolster Governor Cuomo’s efforts to enhance heritage tourism, and offer new public recreational access to Horse Island,” says Erik Kulleseid, the acting state parks commissioner.
For more information, visit parks.ny.gov/newsroom/press-releases/release.aspx?r=1483.
Photo courtesy of Doug Kerr/Flickr.
