Washington's Headquarters (Valley Forge)
Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge, also known as the Isaac Potts House, is a historic house that is one of the centerpieces of Valley Forge National Historical Park in southeastern Pennsylvania. Probably built about 1773, General George Washington made his headquarters here during the encampment at Valley Forge of the Continental Army between December 1777 and June 1778. The restored building is part of the Valley Forge National Historical Park and is open to the public. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972.[2][3]
Washington's Headquarters | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property | |
Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge | |
Location | Valley Forge National Historical Park |
---|---|
Nearest city | Valley Forge, Pennsylvania |
Coordinates | 40°6′5″N 75°27′43″W |
Architect | Potts, Isaac |
Architectural style | Georgian |
Part of | Valley Forge (ID66000657) |
NRHP reference No. | 73001655 |
Significant dates | |
Washington's home | 1777 |
Added to NRHP | February 11, 1973[1] |
Designated NHL | November 28, 1972[2] |
Designated NHLDCP | January 20, 1961 |
Description and history
Washington's Valley Forge Headquarters stands between Pennsylvania Route 23 and the Schuylkill River near the center of Valley Forge National Historical Park. It is a three-story stone structure with a full cellar, three bays wide, with a side gable roof. A single-story ell extends to the left. The main entrance is in the left-most bay, sheltered by a gabled hood. There is a secondary entrance on the right end wall. The gable ends have pent roofs below, and circular windows in the gable center.[3] The interior is decorated with period 18th-century furnishings and artifacts related to George Washington.
The house was built 1768-70 by Isaac Potts, a Quaker who operated a grist mill nearby. George Washington, and later his wife Martha as well, occupied this house from Christmas Eve 1777 until June 18, 1778. Washington conducted the army's business in an office on the ground floor during that period.[3] The house became part of a state park in 1893, which was given to the people of the United States by Pennsylvania in 1976.[6]
See also
- Valley Forge - for the historical encampment and its impacts on the American Revolutionary War
- Valley Forge National Historical Park - for the current status of the Headquarters and encampment
- Valley Forge, Pennsylvania - for the location of this house.
- List of Washington's Headquarters during the Revolutionary War
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- "Washington's Headquarters". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- Charles W. Snell (1972-03-02). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Washington's Headquarters (Isaac Potts House)" (pdf). National Park Service. Cite journal requires
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(help) and Accompanying 2 photos, exterior, from 1971, and one drawing (32 KB) - "Upper Merrion Township, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
- "Township Zoning Map". Upper Merion Township. 2019-09-02. // Compare with "Valley Forge National Historic Park Map" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
- "NHL nomination for Valley Forge" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-04-15.