The National Park Service on Thursday announced a total of $9.5 million in funding to enhance historic battlefields and interpretation projects across the U.S., including two Revolutionary War-era national parks located in upstate New York. 

The town of Ashland in Chemung County received two Battlefield Land Acquisitions Grants totaling $860,278 to acquire and preserve 322 acres at Newtown Battlefield in Chemung County.

The site is home to the 1779 battle of Newtown, a decisive clash in one of the largest offensive campaigns of the American Revolution, the NPS said. Learn more about the historical significance of the site here. 

Ashland will support the site's preservation through the purchase of two properties, then transfer the land to the state and have it incorporated as part of the Newtown Battlefield State Park, the NPS said.

The park service also announced a $200,000 Battlefield Interpretation Grant to Saratoga County for its “Interpretation of the Siege of Saratoga” project.

The fall 1777 Battles of Saratoga have been called the "turning point of the American Revolution."

The British defeat at Saratoga forced British Army Gen. John Burgoyne's nearby surrender to American forces on Oct. 17, 1777, which led France to join the U.S. and formally recognize it as an independent nation.

Saratoga County will use its grant to install new waysides and interactive map tables and highlight lesser-known events and perspectives of the battles of Freeman’s Farm and Bemis Heights.

“Today’s grants help to forge connections with the landscapes that tell America’s history,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “By supporting these local preservation and interpretation efforts, all Americans gain the opportunity to learn about our nation’s history and growth outside of books and computers.”