Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Battlefield preservation

Schenck intended from an early date for the group to donate its purchased property to the federal government; when Congress established the national military park in 1917, the GBGC turned over its 125 acres at no charge. However, Schenck's years of control left a mixed legacy: he beautified the landscape rather than preserving its approximate historical state, and state historical societies erected monuments in the area before it became a military park, often in convenient but inaccurate locations.

Additionally, Schenck adopted an interpretation of the battle covering a much smaller area than contemporary accounts indicate, likely due to limited funds and high landowner prices, which misled researchers and historical groups into placing markers in wrong spots and hampered government efforts to acquire land outside the original designated area. Since then, the expanding city of Greensboro has encircled the park with private development, destroying some battlefield areas.

The National Park Service has moved beyond Schenck's interpretation with more researched understanding and hopes to reconstruct the battlefield and its monuments to be consistent with historical evidence. A revived Guilford Battleground Company now supports preservation efforts for the park and the Colonial Heritage Center, where British forces assembled for their advance.

Did You Know?

• The park's nomination on the National Register of Historic Places was substantially updated in 1996.