News Release

Saratoga NHP Receives Donation in Honor of Long-time Volunteer

Bob Stoke with his daughter and grandson in front of the Neilson House

Stokes Family

News Release Date: October 8, 2022

Contact: Garrett Cloer, 518-670-2980

Saratoga National Historical Park played host to some special visitors today—one of the park’s longest serving volunteers, Robert “Bob” Stokes, and his family stopped by our collections area as he celebrated his 80th birthday! If you are wondering why this was the location of the family’s celebration, it is because they wanted to tell Bob about his very special birthday present.

As the family searched for the perfect gift to mark his milestone birthday, Saratoga came immediately to mind. “Bob is a life-long history buff, from graduating from Colgate with his degree in history, to many dinner table conversations with our girls growing up. After retiring from the phone company and finishing up a decade as the elected Supervisor of the Town of Greenfield, Bob’s volunteer time and passion has been the Saratoga Battlefield,” said Julie Stokes, Stokes wife of 57 years. In addition to volunteering with the park, Bob served as Vice Chair of Friends of Saratoga Battlefield where he helped design, fundraise, and install the Sword Surrender Site monument in 2019.

Bob has filled many roles in his more than 15 years of volunteering at Saratoga, but the Neilson House, the only surviving structure on the battlefield from the time of the 1777 battles, holds a special place in his heart. He has spent many hours there sharing the stories of the house and the people who lived in it. He is shown here posing with his daughter, Jennifer, and grandson, Dylan, in front of the house during a shift.

Conveniently, park staff had been working on a new furnishings plan for the house in recent years, creating a perfect opportunity for Bob’s birthday gift to have a long-lasting impact on the park and its visitors. The Neilson House had traditionally been furnished with household goods representing the Neilson Family. However, a closer look at the historical evidence revealed that the family had taken their possessions with them when they evacuated their home in the face of the British invasion in 1777. After much research by park staff, a new plan has been developed to show the house as the headquarters of Generals Benedict Arnold and Enoch Poor, its usage during the Battles of Saratoga.

Stokes’s family worked secretly with park staff and master craftsman Leonard Bellanca in recent months to recreate a folding camp bed of the type that would have been used by a high-ranking officer such as Arnold. This key object will jumpstart the implementation of the new plan. A porcelain tea set and bed coverings supported through donations by friends of the family will join the bed in the Neilson House exhibit. The family brought Bob out today to surprise him with the news of his exciting gift and see the historic bed it is being modeled after! Bob’s daughters shared why it is such a perfect gift for their father.

“Dad has passed down his love of history to his grandson, Dylan,” said Stokes’s youngest daughter, Jennifer. “Seeing Washington’s tent at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia or seeing reenactments help bring history to life for younger history buffs,” she said.
“It’s when visitors can see something real, with the story along with it like Dad shares, that I saw visitors of all ages really enjoy the parks,” said his oldest daughter, Lynn Stokes, who spent her career as a law enforcement officer and Chief Ranger in the National Park Service.
Stokes especially enjoys connecting with visitors from around the world and to let them know why people fought here, especially those from England. While his in-person volunteer time was curtailed due to the pandemic (Bob volunteered for more than 250 hours in 2019!), he still shares his love of the Battle of Saratoga with visitors to Saratoga anytime he can. The generous 80th birthday present given to him by his family will continue impacting visitors for years to come.

Saratoga National Historical Park preserves, protects, and interprets the sites associated with the battles, siege, and surrender of the British forces at Saratoga. The park encompasses five sites including the Saratoga Battlefield, Philip Schuyler House, Victory Woods, the Saratoga Monument, and Sword Surrender site totaling 3,579 acres.
For more information about Saratoga National Historical Park, please call the Visitor Center at [phone], visit www.nps.gov/sara, or find the park on Facebook or Twitter @SaratogaNHP.