Two centuries ago, it was a military lookout. Today, it is a meeting place for hiking enthusiasts. On Saturday, March 21, Fort Hill Park will serve as the setting for an activity that combines history with a walk through the landscape. “Peekskill’s Pivotal Role in the Revolutionary War” proposes exploring the terrain before hearing the history that explains it.

The event, organized by the Peekskill Museum, will begin at 9.30 a.m. at the park entrance located on Decatur Avenue, between Orchard and Paulding streets. From there, participants will walk uphill to the Eastern Redoubt, one of the remaining fortification remnants—sections of defensive earthworks and walls that once served as trenches and still survive in the park.

The route takes between twenty and thirty minutes and is considered a moderate hike. Organizers recommend bringing water and wearing proper hiking footwear. Although the distance is short, the climb is steady.

An hour later, at 10 a.m., the talk will begin after the group reaches the summit. There, presenters will explain the role Peekskill played during the Revolutionary War, when the city functioned as a strategic point for the Continental Army. According to historical records, the city’s location near the Hudson River turned the area into a key node for the movement of troops, supplies and military communications.

In 1776, General George Washington established one of his temporary headquarters in the city. Peekskill also concentrated mills, workshops and trade routes that supplied the revolutionary army. That infrastructure made the area a target for British forces.

In 1777, British troops attacked the region and destroyed mills and supplies used by the revolutionaries. Those confrontations and military operations left marks on the landscape that can still be traced in several elevated areas of the city, including the hill where Fort Hill Park now stands.

The event, which is also organized in collaboration with the City of Peekskill, is part of a series of community activities connected to the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

Activities will continue the following day with another talk dedicated to local history. On Sunday, March 22, local historian John Curran will present the lecture, “The Peekskill Raid – 1777” at the Peekskill Museum at 2 p.m., a presentation that will examine the British incursions that affected the city during that pivotal year of the war.

In addition to these programs, the museum participates in other cultural activities. Among them is a photographic exhibition on Peekskill’s visual history that can be viewed at The Field Library, where historical images from the museum’s archives are on display. The exhibition will remain open through March 30.