Valley Forge National Historical Park

(Redirected from Valley Forge Park) Site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army This article is about the National Historical Park. For other uses, see Valley Forge (disambiguation).

United States historic place

Significant dates

Valley Forge National Historical Park
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
U.S. National Historical Park

The National Memorial Arch at the park
Show map of PennsylvaniaShow map of the United States
Location	Montgomery County and Chester County, Pennsylvania
Nearest city	King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°05′49″N 75°26′20″W / 40.09694°N 75.43889°W / 40.09694; -75.43889
Area	3,466 acres (1,403 ha)
Visitation	1,645,298 (2022)
Website	Valley Forge National Historical Park
NRHP reference No.	66000657
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHLD	January 20, 1961
Designated NHP	State Park: 1893 National Historical Park: July 4, 1976

Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site and interprets the history of the Valley Forge encampment. The park contains historical buildings, recreated encampment structures, memorials, museums, and recreation facilities.

The park encompasses 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) and is visited by nearly 2 million people each year. Visitors can see restored historic structures, reconstructed structures such as the iconic log huts, and monuments erected by the states from which the Continental soldiers came. Visitor facilities include a visitor center and museum featuring original artifacts and providing an introduction to the American Revolution and the Valley Forge encampment. Ranger programs, tours (walking and trolley), and activities are available seasonally. The park also provides over 30 miles (48 km) of hiking and biking trails, which are connected to an extensive regional trails system. Wildlife watching, fishing, and boating on the nearby Schuylkill River also are popular.

Historical encampment

Main article: Valley Forge

Approximately 12,000 Continental Army troops under George Washington's command were encamped at Valley Forge from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. After British General Howe captured the American capitol of Philadelphia, Washington chose the site for the encampment because it was between the British and the Second Continental Congress in York, as well as supply depots in Reading. At the same time, Valley Forge was far enough from Philadelphia to make a British surprise attack unlikely, but close enough that Continental forces could scout enemy positions and prevent them from foraging the countryside.

The Valley Forge encampment was one of the most trying moments for the Continental Army during the war, but they also used the encampment to retrain and rejuvenate. The shared hardship of the officers and soldiers of the Continental Army and the professional military training provided by Baron Friedrich von Steuben are considered a turning point in the Revolutionary War, which secured the independence of the Thirteen Colonies and the establishment of the United States.

Park history

The Centennial and Memorial Association of Valley Forge was incorporated in 1878 with the purpose of saving, acquiring, and preserving General Washington's Headquarters and surrounding acreage. A large Centennial event was held on June 19, 1878, the 100th anniversary of Washington's Army exiting Valley Forge.

Valley Forge was established as the first state park of Pennsylvania in 1893 by the Valley Forge Park Commission (VFPC) "to preserve, improve, and maintain as a public park the site on which General George Washington's army encamped at Valley Forge." The area around Washington's headquarters was chosen as the park site. In 1923, the VFPC was brought under the Department of Forests and Waters, then incorporated into the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in 1971.

Valley Forge was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1961 and was listed in the initial National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The area covered by these listings goes outside what was then Valley Forge State Park boundaries to include four historic houses where the Marquis de Lafayette and other officers were quartered.

In 1976, Pennsylvania gave the park as a gift to the nation for the United States Bicentennial. Congress passed a law, signed by President Gerald Ford on July 4, 1976, authorizing the addition of Valley Forge National Historical Park as the 283rd Unit of the National Park System and allocating a budget for essential facilities.

Park Superintendents

State Park Superintendents

Frederick D. Stone (1893–1895)
Holstein DeHaven (1895–1898)
Charles C. Adams (1899–1903)
A. H. Bowen (1903–1911)
Col. S. S. Hartranft (1911–1921)
John S. Kennedy (1921–1924)
Jerome J. Sheas (1925–1935)
Gilbert S. Jones (1935–1938)
Joseph E. Stott (1938–1940)
E. F. Brouse (1940–1941)
L. Ralph Phillips (1941–1953)
Paul E. Felton (1953–1955)
George F. Kenworthy (1955–1957)
Wilford P. Moll (1957–1958)
E. C. Pyle (1958–1966)
Wilford P. Moll (1966–1969)
Charles C. Frost, Jr. (1969–1971)
Horace Wilcox (1971–1976)

National Park Superintendents

H. Gilbert Lusk (1976–1981)
Wallace Elms (1981–1990)
Warren Beach (1990–1996)
Arthur L. Stewart (1996–2004)
Mike Caldwell (2004–2011)
Kate Hammond (2012–2016)
Steven Sims (2017–2019)
Rose Fennell (2020–present)

Features and facilities

Visitor center

The park's visitor center includes a museum with artifacts from the American Revolutionary War, an interactive muster roll of Continental soldiers encamped at Valley Forge, ranger-led gallery programs and walks, a story telling program, a visitor information desk, and a store for books and souvenirs. Ninety-minute bus tours of the park and bike rentals are available seasonally. The 19-minute film "Determined to Persevere: The Valley Forge Encampment" is shown in the park's theater next door and is available on the park's website.

Washington's Headquarters

Main article: Washington's Headquarters (Valley Forge)

A key attraction of the park is the restored colonial home used by General George Washington as his headquarters during the encampment. Rehabilitation of the headquarters area was completed in summer 2009 and included the restoration of the old Valley Forge Train Station into an information center, new guided tours, new exhibits throughout the landscape, and the elimination of several acres of modern paving and restoration of the historic landscape. Quarters of other Continental Army generals are also in the park, including those of Generals Varnum, Lord Stirling, Lafayette, and Knox.

Reconstructed works and buildings

Throughout the park there are reconstructed log cabins of the type thought to be used during the encampment. Earthworks are visible for the defense of the encampment, including four redoubts, the ditch for the Inner Line Defenses, and a reconstructed abatis.

Washington Memorial Chapel

Main article: Washington Memorial Chapel

The Washington Memorial Chapel, an inholding of the park, and National Patriots Bell Tower carillon sit atop a hill at the center of the park. The chapel is a functioning Episcopal Church, built as a tribute to Washington. The bell tower houses the Daughters of the American Revolution Patriot Rolls, listing those who served in the Revolutionary War.

Memorial markers

Main article: National Memorial Arch

The National Memorial Arch dominates the southern portion of the park and is dedicated "to the officers and private soldiers of the Continental Army December 19, 1777 – June 19, 1778". It was commissioned by Congress in 1910 and completed in 1917. It is inscribed with George Washington's tribute to the perseverance and endurance of his army:

Naked and Starving as they are
We cannot enough admire
the Incomparable Patience and Fidelity
of the Soldiery.

–George Washington

The drive is lined with large memorial stones for each of the brigades that encamped there. Crossing Gulph Road at the arch, the drive proceeds through the Pennsylvania Columns and past the hilltop statue of Anthony Wayne on a horse. More brigade markers line PA Route 23.

Trails

There are over 30 miles (48 km) of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails within the park, such as the Valley Creek Trail and the River Trail. The main trail is the Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, which consists of a 5-mile (8 km) loop of the park. Portions of regional trails also run through the park, including the Horse Shoe Trail and the Schuylkill River Trail.

Recreation

The many trails in Valley Forge allow for different activities such as jogging, walking and biking. Other activities include horseback riding and canoeing/kayaking. There are three picnic areas located in the park. In addition, Park Rangers dressed in period uniforms are sometimes stationed as the Muhlenburg Brigade Huts, ready to inform visitors about the historic events that happened on the site. The Valley Forge 5-Mile Revolutionary Run is also held in the park every April.

Train station

Main article: Valley Forge station

The Valley Forge Train Station is near Washington's Headquarters. It was completed in 1911 by the Reading Railroad and was the point of entry to the park for travelers who came by rail through the 1950s from Philadelphia, 23.7 miles (38.1 km) distant. The station was restored in 2009 and is used as a museum and information center that offers visitors a better understanding of Washington's Headquarters and the village of Valley Forge. It is constructed of the same type of stone as Washington's Headquarters.

Modern problems

In 2001, a privately held 62-acre (25 ha) tract of land was offered for sale within the park boundaries. Toll Brothers, a real estate development company, purchased it for $2.5 million. The federal government bought it from the developer two years later for $7.5 million.

In 2007, the non-profit American Revolution Center purchased 78 acres (32 ha) of land within the park boundary with plans to construct a conference center, hotel, retail, campground, and museum on the site. The National Parks Conservation Association and local citizens sued Lower Providence Township over the zoning change that enabled this proposal. The two parties agreed to allow the NPS to keep the land, and in exchange, the American Revolution Center was given property in Philadelphia, where it built the Museum of the American Revolution.

An overpopulation of white-tailed deer has resulted in "changes in the species composition, abundance, and distribution of native plant communities and associated wildlife" in the park. In 2008, the National Park Service released a draft deer management plan and environmental impact statement for public review. The intent of the plan was to "support long-term protection, preservation, and restoration of native vegetation and other natural resources within the park." Hunting is prohibited by the legislation that created the park, and action by Congress would be required before it could be sanctioned.

Gallery

Valley Forge National Historical Park Picture Gallery

A replica of a cabin at Valley Forge in which soldiers of George Washington's army would have stayed during the winter of 1777–1778.
Valley Forge Park Entrance Sign from the River trail
Reconstructed soldier cabin at Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania, USA
Knox Covered Bridge in Valley Forge National Historical Park across Valley Run (creek) near Lord Stirling's Quarters
Valley Forge Park Visitor Center
Anthony Wayne statue at Valley Forge, PA
Valley Forge Memorial Arch in Valley Forge National Park, Valley Forge, PA
Washington Memorial Chapel (construction started 1903) located within the Valley Forge National Historical Park in Pennsylvania

References

"NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
"National Park Service". Retrieved December 28, 2019.
Prussia, Mailing Address: 1400 North Outer Line Drive King of; Us, PA 19406 Phone: 610 783–1000 Contact. "What Happened at Valley Forge – Valley Forge National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved December 2, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
"Backstory of Washington's Headquarters". King of Prussia Historical Society. June 23, 2018.
Treese, Lorett. "The Centennial and Memorial Association of Valley Forge". Valley Forge: Making and Remaking a National Symbol. The Pennsylvania State University Press – via United States National Park Service (NPS).
Brown, Henry Armitt (1911). "Oration at Valley Forge: The One Hundredth Anniversary of the Departure of the Army of the Revolution From Winter Quarters at That Place". Classic in the Grades – via Google Books.
^ "Records of the Valley Forge Park Commission (VFPC)". Retrieved October 27, 2006.
"Valley Forge". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
^ Richard Greenwood (November 5, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Valley Forge State Park / Valley Forge". National Park Service. and Accompanying six photos, from 1972 and undated
Valley Forge National Historical Park – Washington Memorial Chapel (U.S. National Park Service)
Schulze, Richard T. (July 4, 1976). "All Info – H.R.5621 – 94th Congress (1975–1976): A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Valley Forge National Historical Park in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes". www.congress.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
"Valley Forge National Park – Pennsylvania" (PDF). National Park Service.
"National Park Service: Historic Listings of NPS Officials (Superintendents of National Park System Areas)". npshistory.com. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
Smith, Jason. "Valley Forge introduces new superintendent". The Phoenix, Reporter & Item. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
"Kate Hammond named Superintendent of Valley Forge National Historical Park – Valley Forge National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
"Steven Sims Chosen as Superintendent of Valley Forge National Historical Park, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site – Valley Forge National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
"Rose Fennell Named Superintendent – Valley Forge National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
"CHAPTER FIVE: The Churches at Valley Forge". Valley Forge National Historic Park. Archived from the original on March 23, 2007. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
Official Guide of the Railways. New York: National Railway Publication Co., February 1956.
Petersen, Nancy (January 3, 2007). "A new view of Valley Forge". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Train Station
"Toll Bros: History, Land ... and Battles". Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
"Keep Valley Forge sacred". February 15, 2008.
"Park Advocates Sue Lower Providence Township in Federal Court to Deny Valley Forge Rezoning". National Parks Conservation Association. December 1, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
"White-tailed Deer Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Valley Forge National Historical Park, King of Prussia, PA". Retrieved November 1, 2006.
"Valley Forge park sets deer hearing". Archived from the original on October 22, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2006.

External links

Official website
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-6186, "Valley Forge National Historical Park"
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-114, "Valley Forge Observation Tower"
"Determined to Persevere: The Valley Forge Encampment"

v t e US National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by county	Adams Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Bedford Berks Blair Bradford Bucks Butler Cambria Cameron Carbon Centre Chester East North South Clarion Clearfield Clinton Columbia Crawford Cumberland Dauphin Delaware Elk Erie Fayette Forest Franklin Fulton Greene Huntingdon Indiana Jefferson Juniata Lackawanna Lancaster Lawrence Lebanon Lehigh Luzerne Lycoming McKean Mercer Mifflin Monroe Montgomery Montour Northampton Northumberland Perry Philadelphia Pike Potter Schuylkill Snyder Somerset Sullivan Susquehanna Tioga Union Venango Warren Washington Wayne Westmoreland Wyoming York
Lists by city	Pittsburgh Lancaster Philadelphia Center City North Northeast Northwest South Southwest West
Other lists	European archaeological sites Native American archaeological sites Bridges (covered) National Historic Landmarks (Philadelphia)
Category NRHP portal

v t e National Historical Parks of the United States
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Adams Appomattox Court House Blackstone River Valley Boston Brown v. Board of Education Cane River Creole Cedar Creek and Belle Grove Chaco Culture Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Colonial Cumberland Gap Dayton Aviation Heritage First State Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie George Rogers Clark Golden Spike Harpers Ferry Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Homestead Hopewell Culture Independence Jean Lafitte Jimmy Carter Kalaupapa Kaloko-Honokōhau Keweenaw Klondike Gold Rush Lewis and Clark Lowell Lyndon B. Johnson Manhattan Project Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Martin Luther King Jr. Minute Man Morristown Natchez New Bedford Whaling New Orleans Jazz Nez Perce Ocmulgee Mounds Palo Alto Battlefield Paterson Great Falls Pecos Pullman Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau Reconstruction Era Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front Saint-Gaudens Salt River Bay San Antonio Missions San Francisco Maritime San Juan Island Saratoga Sitka Ste. Genevieve Thomas Edison Tumacácori Valley Forge War in the Pacific Weir Farm Women's Rights
Full alphabetical list

Protected areas of Pennsylvania

Federal

NPS National Historical Parks & National Historic Sites	Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Edgar Allan Poe NHS Eisenhower NHS First State NHP Friendship Hill NHS Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church NHS Hopewell Furnace NHS Independence NHP Steamtown NHS Valley Forge NHP
National Memorials	Benjamin Franklin Flight 93 Johnstown Flood Thaddeus Kosciuszko
National Battlefields and National Military Parks	Fort Necessity NB Gettysburg NMP
National Trails	Appalachian Trail
National Forests	Allegheny
USFS National Historic Sites	Grey Towers
National Wildlife Refuges	Cherry Valley Erie John Heinz Ohio River Islands
Wilderness areas	Allegheny Islands Hickory Creek
Other protected areas	Allegheny National Recreation Area Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River Middle Delaware National Scenic River Susquehanna National Heritage Area Tionesta Scenic Area Tionesta Wild Area Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

State

Natural Areas	Alan Seeger Algerine Swamp Anders Run Bark Cabin Bear Meadows Bear Run Beartown Woods Big Flat Laurel Black Ash Swamp Bruce Lake Buckhorn Carbaugh Run Charles F. Lewis Cranberry Swamp David R. Johnson Detweiler Run Devil’s Elbow East Branch Swamp Forrest H. Dutlinger Frank E. Masland Halfway Run Hemlocks The Hook Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Jakey Hollow Johnson Run Joyce Kilmer Kettle Creek Gorge Lebo Red Pine Little Juniata Little Mud Pond Swamp Little Tinicum Island Lower Jerry Run Marion Brooks M.K. Goddard/Wykoff Run Meeting of the Pines Miller Run Mt. Cydonia Ponds Mt. Davis Mt. Logan Pennel Run Pine Creek Gorge Pine Lake Pine Ridge Pine Tree Trail Reynolds Spring Roaring Run Rocky Ridge Rosencrans Bog Ruth Zimmerman Sheets Island Archipelago Snyder-Middleswarth Spruce Swamp Stillwater Sweet Root Tall Timbers Tamarack Run Tamarack Swamp Torbert Island
State Parks	Allegheny Islands Archbald Pothole Bald Eagle Beltzville Bendigo Benjamin Rush Big Elk Creek Big Pocono Big Spring Black Moshannon Blue Knob Boyd Big Tree Buchanan's Birthplace Bucktail Caledonia Canoe Creek Chapman Cherry Springs Clear Creek Codorus Colonel Denning Colton Point Cook Forest Cowans Gap Delaware Canal Denton Hill Elk Erie Bluffs Evansburg Fort Washington Fowlers Hollow Frances Slocum French Creek Gifford Pinchot Gouldsboro Greenwood Furnace Hickory Run Hillman Hills Creek Hyner Run Hyner View Jacobsburg Jennings Joseph E. Ibberson Kettle Creek Keystone Kings Gap Kinzua Bridge Kooser Lackawanna Laurel Hill Laurel Mountain Laurel Ridge Laurel Summit Lehigh Gorge Leonard Harrison Linn Run Little Buffalo Little Pine Locust Lake Lyman Run Marsh Creek Maurice K. Goddard McCalls Dam McConnells Mill Memorial Lake Milton Mont Alto Moraine Mt. Pisgah Nescopeck Neshaminy Nockamixon Nolde Forest Norristown Farm Ohiopyle Oil Creek Ole Bull Parker Dam Patterson Penn-Roosevelt Pine Grove Furnace Poe Paddy Poe Valley Point Presque Isle Prince Gallitzin Promised Land Prompton Prouty Place Pymatuning R. B. Winter Raccoon Creek Ralph Stover Ravensburg Reeds Gap Ricketts Glen Ridley Creek Ryerson Station Salt Springs Samuel S. Lewis Sand Bridge Shawnee Shikellamy Simon B. Elliott Sinnemahoning Sizerville Susquehanna Susquehanna Riverlands Susquehannock Swatara Tobyhanna Trough Creek Tuscarora Tyler Upper Pine Bottom Varden Vosburg Neck Warriors Path Washington Crossing Whipple Dam White Clay Creek Worlds End Yellow Creek
State Forests	Bald Eagle Buchanan Clear Creek Cornplanter Delaware Elk Forbes Gallitzin Loyalsock Michaux Moshannon Pinchot Rothrock Sproul Susquehannock Tiadaghton Tioga Tuscarora Weiser William Penn
Scenic Rivers	Bear Run French Creek Lehigh River LeTort Spring Run Lick Run Lower Brandywine Octoraro Creek Pine Creek Schuylkill River Stony Creek Tucquan Creek Tulpehocken Creek Yellow Breeches Creek
State Game Lands	12 13 14 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 179 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 335
Wild areas	Algerine Asaph Burns Run Clear Shade Hammersley James C. Nelson Kettle Creek Russell P. Letterman Martin Hill McIntyre Penns Creek Quebec Run Quehanna Russell P. Letterman Square Timber Stairway Thickhead Mountain Trough Creek Wolf Run
Other	Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Mohn Mill Ponds Wild Plant Sanctuary Stone Valley Recreation Area

Local and private

v t e Upper Merion Township (King of Prussia area) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Neighborhoods	Gulph Mills King of Prussia Swedeland Swedesburg Wayne (part)
Attractions	Bridge in Upper Merion Township Hanging Rock King of Prussia Mall King of Prussia Town Center King of Prussia Inn King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company 9/11 Memorial Valley Forge Casino Resort Valley Forge National Historical Park (part) National Memorial Arch Washington's Headquarters Washington Memorial Chapel
Education	Upper Merion SD Upper Merion HS Armenian Sisters Academy
Industry	AmeriGas Universal Health Services Radial, Inc.

v t e Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Neighborhoods	Chesterbrook CDP Daylesford Paoli CDP (partial) Strafford Wayne (partial)
Education	Tredyffrin/Easttown SD Conestoga HS Delaware Valley Friends School Devon Preparatory School
Attractions	Valley Forge National Historical Park (part)

Categories:

Misplaced Pages