Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, NY, recently made significant changes to the furnishings of the Neilson House to better reflect its appearance in the fall of 1777, during the Battles of Saratoga.
The first step was conducting extensive research into who occupied the house and their belongings. It was determined that a folding camp bed would represent the presence of General Benedict Arnold in his divisional headquarters.
Support was offered by donors and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield, and the process of finding craftspeople who could replicate the techniques and skill of their 18th century counterparts in recreating such a bed began.
At 6 pm on May 15, 2024, in the Visitor Center theater, there will be a presentation about the people involved and how this project progressed from the archives to the workshop to the Neilson House. Space is limited, email SARA_reservations@nps.gov to reserve your spot.
Participants will hear from Saratoga NHP Park Ranger and Historian Eric Schnitzer and Curator Christine Valosin, woodworkers Leonard Bellanca and Tom Wetzel, and seamstress Elisabeth Tatum.
Leonard Bellanca has been designing and making furniture using traditional methods, materials, and finishes since 1996. His work has been shown in fine art exhibitions throughout the northeast, and has been published in the Albany Times-Union, the Catskill Mountain Guide, the online journal Numéro Cinq, Fine Woodworking Online, and Simply Saratoga magazine.
Elisabeth Tatum is the Executive Director of Historic Red Hook and a PhD candidate in the history department at SUNY University at Albany. She is currently working on her dissertation which explores the lives of imprisoned debtors in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century rural New York. As a historian of material and consumer culture, she is always excited for the opportunity to research, make, and present on historical clothes and textiles, from soldier’s beds to children’s gowns.
Tom Wetzel began his career after graduating with a degree in residential construction. For the next 10 years, Wetzel and his brother built everything from decks to whole homes. In 1992, he left the carpentry business and immersed himself in 18th century furniture. After self-directed study, he decided on 18th century American Windsor chairs as his focus. To date, he has built more than 1,000 examples.
Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, about 30 miles north of Albany, preserves the site of the Battles of Saratoga.
Photo: Neilson House at Saratoga NHP (photo by Gina L. provided).
