he Old Barracks Museum is proud to announce the acquisition of the Donald Londahl-Smidt Research Collection. The collection, focused on the Hessian and English forces fighting in America during the American Revolution, is the legacy of the late Donald M. Londahl-Smidt of Montvale, New Jersey.

Londahl-Smidt was a Revolutionary War military and naval historian, specializing in the Hessian and other German soldiers who served with the British forces in North America. He authored German Troops in the American Revolution(1): Hessen-Cassel and a number of articles focused on the Hessians. He presented lectures at historical societies and museums, Revolutionary War roundtables, libraries and other venues. All of this work was based on the impressive personal research collection he assembled, including images of original manuscripts in both English and German, period artwork, rare published histories of German and English regiments, and close to one thousands reels of microfilm of manuscripts from the British War Office, British Colonial Office, Cornwallis Papers, and newspapers from America, England, and Germany among many others. Fluent in German and able to translate the old German script, his collection also includes his transcriptions and translations of numerous Hessian documents, many of which have never been published.

Born in 1933 in Mount Vernon, New York, and raised in Queens, Londahl-Smidt graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science in political science and the University of Delaware with a Master of Arts degree in history. He served for twenty-eight years as an officer in the United States Air Force, twelve years on active duty and sixteen in the Reserves, retiring in 1983 as a Lieutenant Colonel. In civilian life, he was a vice president at Chemical Bank and a first vice president of National Community Bank of New Jersey. Most importantly, he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Londahl-Smidt’s children selected the Old Barracks Museum to be the new home for their father’s collection.

Michelle Doherty, the Old Barracks Museum’s Executive Director, noted the importance of the gift to the museum. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of both the Declaration of Independence and the Battles of Trenton which inspired faith in our independence, the Old Barracks Museum is reexamining our understanding of the battles and expanding our view of the participants on all sides. The Londahl-Smidt Collection will transform our ability to study and share the stories of the German and English forces who fought at Trenton and throughout the Revolution.”

The collection has been returned to the Old Barracks after conservation work was completed, but it is not yet ready for researchers. Mark A. Turdo, Assistant Director of Interpretation and Curation said “We are honored to be the new stewards of Don’s collection. We need to ensure that it is organized and accessible. We are taking time to get the collection inventoried and rehoused before we make it available for research. We plan to roll out portions of the collection as they are ready” In the meantime, the Old Barracks is assembling staff and resources for the project.

ABOUT THE OLD BARRACKS MUSEUM: Originally built in 1758 to house British soldiers during the French and Indian War, the Old Barracks bore witness to the Battles of Trenton and was later used as a Revolutionary War army hospital. The Old Barracks Association purchased the site in the early 20th century, turning it into a museum. Today the Museum, accredited in 2024 by the American Alliance of Museums, welcomes visitors from across the globe, sharing the building’s rich history through interpretive programs, tours, and exhibits.

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