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Poughkeepsie Journal Graves, very likely those of hundreds of Revolutionary War soldiers, have been found, at long last, on undeveloped land in the Town of Fishkill that was proposed to be a shopping center. Archaeological digs and a survey using ground-penetrating radar confirmed existence of long-suspected remains in the historic site known as the Fishkill Supply Depot, according to letters from state historic officials. Historians deem the depot to have been a major resource in the American colonies' war to become a free nation. It was a logistics center for food and supplies as well as an encampment for thousands of soldiers, they have said. Most of the Fishkill Supply Depot site, south of Interstate 84 and next to Route 9, has been covered by development, including the Dutchess Mall. The proposed shopping center, Crossroads of Fishkill, first broached in 2006, has now come to a halt and the parcel is listed for sale. Meanwhile, Fishkill Historical Focus, the group that led a petition drive that helped prompt state officials to order new research that led to the gravesite discovery, faces the task of finding a way to preserve the site. Mara Farrell, a member of Fishkill Historical Focus, said, "It's a really exciting discovery. For decades, there has been a big question about the exact site, the Continental Army grave site. It's big news. It's really thrilling." Douglas Mackey, an archaeology program analyst for the state, wrote on April 8 to Scott Jerutis of Kyle Properties, owner of the Crossroads site, the new study "suggests that there are hundreds of graves present." J. Winthrop Aldrich, the state's deputy commissioner for historic preservation, wrote in March to town Supervisor Joan Pagones the site was "an exceptionally significant cultural resource" and urged the town to help preserve it. Pagones said Tuesday the town couldn't afford to buy it but "we would entertain bringing people together to see if somebody else might come forward."
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