Community Rallies to ‘Save Sybil’

A re-enactor addresses attendees at an Oct. 12 rally on the shore of Lake Gleneida in Carmel to support the refurbishing of the statue of famed 16-year-old Patriot Sybil Ludington.

A rally in support of the restoration of the Sybil Ludington statue on the shore of Lake Gleneida in Carmel took place Oct. 12, where local leaders gathered at the bronze structure that memorializes the 16-year-old female equestrian.

The collaborative event was organized by the county’s Revolutionary Putnam Advisory Committee, a body headed by volunteer co-chairmen former Governor George Pataki and philanthropist and local history advocate George Whipple. 

Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne praised state and private sponsors who are supplementing the $50,000 he proposed in the 2026 budget capital plan to refurbish the 1961 statue, including State Sen. Pete Harckham, and Whipple.

A petition collected at the event’s conclusion is expected to elicit additional funds to be used to clean and update the 4,000-pound likeness of Ludington atop her faithful steed Star.

In addition, the county’s department of public works will be distributing and installing reflective metal stars and “Sybil’s Ride” destination signs along portions of her 40-mile route throughout the month to raise awareness about the heroine’s historic April 1777 journey to warn Patriots – some led by county namesake Gen. Israel Putnam – of an impending British attack on a military supply depot in Danbury.

For more information on Putnam’s colonial wartime history, along with information about upcoming local events for the nation’s 250th anniversary, visit revolutionaryputnam.org.