Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site

03/18/2026

March update from January on the Sackets Harbor Battlefield’s Hall House upgrades.

Maintenance at the Sackets Site includes a multitude of tasks on the grounds and buildings. One of the buildings, the Hall House located on West Washington Street, began as a farmhouse built on the battlegrounds after the War of 1812.

In the 1970s, NYS Parks purchased the Halll Farm property, and the house became the site’s offices and public restrooms. This winter the site’s maintenance team replaced the public restroom floors and toilets and painted the metal stall panels.
Getting ready for the 2026 summer season!

The main public spaces in the Hall House feature an exhibit on understanding the War of 1812 in Sackets Harbor through archaeology. During the War of 1812 Bicentennial this inter-active exhibit opened to the public.

03/18/2026

03/13/2026

Get ready for summer by downloading the Explorer App!

Purchase and store your park passes, get alerts, view hours, events, fees & more for all of your favorite state parks🌳

03/12/2026

🏀🌳Park Madness is closing in🌳🏀

Get ready for the ultimate showdown of the Thousand Islands Region's favorite state parks! From scenic shorelines to historic sites, 26 parks, 2 golf courses, and 1 historic site will battle it out for the title.

Who will come out on top? That's up to YOU!

🗳 Voting begins March 18th
📊Follow along as each round continues
👑One site will be crowned champion

Check out the bracket below or snag a pdf copy at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_s-lxa61ek7weETWB4RjpGaKtY2HJDBP/view?usp=drive_link to make your predictions. Then, let us know if you're playing in the comments below!

03/09/2026

🏀Get ready... the madness is coming to parks!

Think you know the best spot in the Thousand Islands Region? We're kicking off TI Region Park Madness on March 18th - a bracket style showdown where YOUR favorite parks compete for the ultimate title. From scenic shorelines to historic battlefields, only one can be crowned champion👑

For now, consider this your official heads up👀 The bracket drops soon and things will get competitive!

03/08/2026

Are you a good B.A.R.K. Ranger? Do you....

🐾Bag your pet's waste?
🐾Always wear a leash?
🐾Respect the wildlife?
🐾Know where you can go?

03/06/2026

We're getting closer to the start of the 2026 Thousand Islands Geocache Challenge! This year, the limited edition geocoin features the Sackets Harbor Battlefield Historic Site 📍

03/05/2026

Archaeologist Tim Abel featured on the Canadian History You Tube channel. Tim's work in Sackets Harbor reveals the big story about this historic community.

In the year 1812 we look at the setup and early affairs on the east end of Lake Ontario in both New York and Upper Canada and also down the St. Lawrence Rive...

02/27/2026

Another update on the Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site’s Union Hotel building rehab of this 1817 structure.

Next phase involves cutting ceiling openings along the line of the exterior banding stonework course. Installing anchors and tie back to floor plates in the banding course.

After cutting a hole in a 2nd floor ceiling, under the 3rd floor former Masonic rooms, workers discovered a royal blue velvet fabric collar with silver embellishments.

In 1865, the resident fraternal Masonic Order bought the building. Then in 1878 they moved their 4th floor Lodge rooms to the 3rd floor.

Did the Masons place the collar under the Masonic room floor in 1897 during major renovations, or did the collar disappear below the floor by accident?

This superb structure remains a key heritage site in downtown Sackets Harbor. Current work demonstrates great effort to keep this unique building secure for many years to come.

02/23/2026

Recently, the Battlefield Alliance and Sackets Harbor Historical Society held their annual meetings at the Union Hotel building.

After the business meetings guest speaker Lydia Miller explained her role in guiding the Union Hotel and Horse Island Lighthouse rehab work.

She focused on both the two building’s historical significance and scope of the current projects. Such as at the hotel the windows, doors, and stone repointing that all require attention.

The window frames are refinished now with the weights working again, ready for the restored window sashes to arrive from the off-site workshop. Hardware for the exterior shutters and decorative grillwork were cleaned and painted.

02/13/2026

Following up on a successful annual meeting last evening with the Sackets Harbor Historical Society and Battlefield Alliance at the Union Hotel building – a record crowd!

Local and visiting attendees were anxious to hear Lydia Miller’s update on the Union Hotel and Horse Island construction projects.

Her presentation title “Celebrating the Union Hotel & Horse Island Lighthouse:
Sackets Harbor’s Historic Gems” proved to be very informative!

As NYS Parks projects coordinator, Lydia brought the audience behind the scenes clearly describing the intricate process of restoring the hotel and lighthouse.

She enlightened everyone to what the workers discovered in the hotel and lighthouse and how they adapted, following historic preservation standards, caring for these architectural treasures.

The Battlefield Alliance President Clay turned over his officer role to Donna.
Thanks, Clay for 23 years of association with the Alliance implementing two North American War of 1812 Grand Tacticals, many summers presenting living history weekends, donations to the site’s collections, and encouraging his children to be the site’s seasonal workers! He exemplifies a tremendous legacy of volunteer service in his adopted community.

02/09/2026

Annual Meetings
Sackets Harbor Battlefield Alliance & Sackets Harbor Historical Society
Thursday February 12, 2026
7pm
Union Hotel, 401 W. Main St.

Celebrating the Union Hotel & Horse Island Lighthouse:
Sackets Harbor’s Historic Gems

Discover the stories behind the Union Hotel building and Horse Island, how they shaped the story of Sackets Harbor.

After the business meetings of the Alliance and Society, speaker Lydia Miller explains her role in guiding the hotel and lighthouse rehab. She focuses on both building’s historical significance and scope of the current projects. Such as at the hotel, the windows, doors, and stone repointing all require attention.

Sometimes there are project challenges and surprises, like the hidden mystery Masonic window. And that is not the stained-glass window seen from the street since the 1890s. Another historic fact is how the lighthouse lantern ventilation originally operated.

Born and raised in the north country, Lydia Miller discovered her interest in architecture through the vernacular designs of the Adirondacks and Thousand Islands regions. With a Masters degree from Yale University she worked as Parks Canada as the Chief Architect for Built Heritage. Last year Lydia came to NYS Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation. She too has a keen interest in her own family heritage and serves as Vice-President of the Lewis County Historical Society in Lowville.