Sullivan County historian urges legislature to help fund 250th Revolutionary War commemoration

John Conway, Sullivan County historian and co‑chair of the county’s semi‑quincentennial commission, told the Sullivan County Legislature that the commission has not received the state funding it expected to support events marking the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War.

Conway said the commission was formed after a October 2022 resolution and that commissioners expected “significant funding” from New York State and other sources; “as of now, none of that funding has been forthcoming,” he said. He asked the legislature to consider augmenting local support and offered to provide an itemized list of needs.

The commission has staged multiple programs this year on a “shoestring” budget, Conway said. April events included a seminary‑hill performance titled “The British Are Coming” featuring a one‑woman show from a Boston troupe and a dramatic reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride” attended by roughly 70 people. Programs at the Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History have shifted to emphasize the Revolutionary War and local connections, he said, including possible ties between local settlers and figures such as Benedict Arnold.

Conway said private sponsors and the Delaware company have underwritten much of the programming; he told legislators the county has not had to fund some of those expenditures and that the Delaware company has spent “nearly three quarters of a million dollars at Fort Delaware over the last four years.” He said the company’s contract runs through 2026 and estimated that has equated to roughly $175,000 a year in support.

Looking ahead to 2026, the commission plans a three‑night Revolutionary War film festival in late April, a series of two‑minute radio segments, continued programming about General John Sullivan, cemetery‑cleanup and graves‑identification efforts with town historians and the Daughters of the American Revolution, and a possible reenactment at the Battle of Minisink depending on whether reenactors’ expenses can be covered.

Conway also said the commission plans to open a time capsule placed at the Minisink Battleground in 1976 in coordination with the town of Highland, and is exploring collaboration with Bethel Woods on a “revolution to revolution” promotional concept linking the county’s Revolutionary War history with its 1960s cultural history.

Legislators asked Conway to provide a detailed list of projected costs and priorities so the legislature can discuss possible funding. “If you could provide us with a list so that we can discuss it and support you in your initiative,” one legislator said; Conway agreed to send an itemized list of needs.

Conway emphasized that the commission has been operating with funds it raised itself and through private sponsorships but that additional county support would allow larger, more public events. He closed by thanking legislators for the invitation and confirming he will provide the requested budget information.