Encyclopedia : G : GU : GUI : Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
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Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, at 2331 New Garden Road in Greensboro, North Carolina, commemorates the Battle of Guilford Court House, fought on March 15, 1781. This battle opened the campaign that led to American victory in the Revolutionary War. The British lost a substantial number of troops at the battle, a factor in their surrender at Yorktown seven months later.
Nathanael Greene statue at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
In 1886, David Schenck conceived the idea of making the Guilford Courthouse site a park, and the next year chartered the non-profit Guilford Battle Ground Company to advance his efforts. From an early date, he apparently foresaw a turnover to the federal government, and when Congress finally established Guilford Courthouse as a national military park, the GBGC turned over its 125 acres at no charge.
However, the GBGC period would leave a mixed legacy. First, Schenck's philosophy was not to preserve the terrain in its approximate historical state, but to beautify the landscape.
Second, he adopted an interpretation of the battle that encompassed a much smaller area than that indicated by contemporary accounts. It is believed that his limited funds, coupled with landowners who exploited his interest by charging top dollar, influenced his historical downsizing. This has not only misled historians, but caused markers and monuments to be placed in the wrong spot, and hampered efforts to acquire land or resist development in areas outside the Schenck interpretion.
Today, the National Park Service has rejected the Schenck interpretation, and hopes to bring the battlefield in harmony with historical evidence. However, the area outside the current park boundary has largely been overrun. A revived Guilford Battleground Company supports preservation efforts and runs nearby Tannenbaum Historic Park, where British forces assembled for their advance. Meanwhile, many Greensboro residents find the park, which lies on a bicycle path and adjoins Greensboro Country Park, a convenient place for jogging and cycling, and typically outnumber visitors touring the battlefield.
