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Nearly 250 Years After His Death, Reconstruction Offers Powerful New Glimpse of Soldier Recovered from Courtland Street Burying Ground

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The New York State Museum has unveiled a facial reconstruction of a Revolutionary War soldier whose remains were recovered from the Courtland Street Burying Ground in Lake George, N.Y. Created by forensic artist Jenny Kenyon, the reconstruction depicts a young soldier believed to have been in his teens, offering a powerful new glimpse into the lives of the individuals who died while serving during America’s fight for independence.

The announcement comes ahead of a public reinterment ceremony on Friday, May 22, 2026, when the soldiers’ remains will be laid to rest with honor at Lake George Battlefield Park.

The Courtland Street Burying Ground was discovered in 2019 during construction work. Regimental buttons from one grave linked the cemetery to the 1775-1776 Quebec Campaign of the American Revolution. In response, the New York State Museum and the Department of Environmental Conservation, with support from volunteers, launched a large-scale effort to respectfully recover the fragmented remains of more than 40 individuals whose graves had been disturbed.  

Since then, Museum researchers have been working painstakingly to reconstruct the stories of those buried there from thousands of recovered fragments. The new facial reconstruction marks a deeply human milestone in that work, transforming one set of remains into the face of a young person whose life was cut short nearly 250 years ago.

Lisa Anderson, New York State Museum Curator of Bioarcheology, said, “While our work has focused on the more scientific aspects of reconstructing fragments of lives lived 250 years ago, artistry has brought one of these individuals into the present. This facial reconstruction further humanizes the remains that were found and serves as a striking reminder of those who fought for our independence.”

New York State Museum Executive Director Jennifer Saunders said, “The New York State Museum is deeply honored to have helped restore the stories of the people whose remains were disturbed, ensuring they are remembered not as historical fragments, but as individuals who served and sacrificed. As our nation approaches its semiquincentennial, their reinterment carries profound meaning—an act of dignity, remembrance, and gratitude. The facial reconstruction offers a powerful new way to look across the centuries, connect with their humanity, and honor the enduring legacy of their service.”

Museum research indicates that the soldiers likely died in the summer of 1776 at a makeshift hospital at Fort George after contracting smallpox or another disease while serving in Canada. Many of the soldiers who took part in the Quebec Campaign were teenagers and young men in their twenties.

To create the reconstruction, Kenyon worked with faculty from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, using 3D-printed scans of the skull as the foundation for the sculpted and painted likeness.

The soldiers will be honored during a public reinterment ceremony at Lake George Battlefield Park on May 22, 2026. A dignified transfer of their remains will occur on May 20, 2026, as they are transported from the New York State Museum to Lake George in a procession of vintage military vehicles and a motorcycle escort.

About the New York State Museum    

Established in 1836, the New York State Museum is the oldest and largest public museum in the United States. Home to leading scientists, historians, archeologists, and anthropologists, its collections represent the State’s rich cultural and natural heritage from the past and present, including a staggering 20+ million artifacts spanning 1.1 billion years ago to today. Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website and subscribe to our newsletter.      

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