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Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Guilford Courthouse National Military Park | |
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| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
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| Location: | North Carolina, USA |
| Nearest city: | Greensboro, NC |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 220.25 acres (0.89 km²) |
| Established: | March 2, 1917 |
| Total Visitation: | 277,484 (in 2004) |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, at 2331 New Garden Road in Greensboro, North Carolina, commemorates the Battle of Guilford Court House, fought on March 15, 1781. This battle opened the campaign that led to American victory in the Revolutionary War. The British lost a substantial number of troops at the battle, a factor in their surrender at Yorktown seven months later.
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In 1886, David Schenck conceived the idea of making the Guilford Courthouse site a park, and the next year chartered the non-profit Guilford Battle Ground Company to advance his efforts. From an early date, he apparently foresaw a turnover to the federal government, and when Congress finally established Guilford Courthouse as a national military park, the GBGC turned over its 125 acres at no charge.
However, the GBGC period would leave a mixed legacy. First, Schenck's philosophy was not to preserve the terrain in its approximate historical state, but to beautify the landscape.
Second, he adopted an interpretation of the battle that encompassed a much smaller area than that indicated by contemporary accounts. It is believed that his limited funds, coupled with landowners who exploited his interest by charging top dollar, influenced his historical downsizing. This has not only misled historians, but caused markers and monuments to be placed in the wrong spot, and hampered efforts to acquire land or resist development in areas outside the Schenck interpretation.
Today, the National Park Service has rejected the Schenck interpretation, and hopes to bring the battlefield in harmony with historical evidence. However, the area outside the current park boundary has largely been overrun. A revived Guilford Battleground Company supports preservation efforts and runs nearby Tannenbaum Historic Park, where British forces assembled for their advance. Meanwhile, many Greensboro residents find the park, which lies on a bicycle path and adjoins Greensboro Country Park, a convenient place for jogging and cycling, and typically outnumber visitors touring the battlefield.
The military park was established on March 2, 1917. It was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service August 10, 1933. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the military park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
- The National Parks: Index 2001-2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
- Redeemed From Oblivion: An Administrative History of Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. (1995) Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
- Official NPS website: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park