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Valley Forge
Written by: Janet Pope
Photography by: Donald
Freedom must be defended every hour, every day, every season, every year.
On our last trip we went from Civil War country to Revolutionary War country and instead of taking centuries, it took only a few hours to get from Gettysburg to Valley Forge. Our first stop to revisit history was at the Valley Forge National Historical Park's Welcome Center, built in 1976. Set into the hillside, surrounded by the vibrant colors of beautiful purple trees and yellow daffodils, the outer glass walls are curved and reflect the etched images of the soldiers in battle. The sloping brick walls leading to the entrance, combined with these images, gave us a stirring introduction to the story of war that was about to be told.
The Welcome Center, through maps, displays and film, told us how 12,000 Continental soldiers arrived at Valley Forge, in December of 1777. With a lack of provisions and suitable clothing, the soldiers endured tremendous hardships. The film using actors to reenact their story was an especially visual and realistic way to shed light on those hardships. The troops were cold and hungry and often went not only without warm clothing, but shoes. By February, the army shrank from 12,000 to 6,000, due to sickness reaching epidemic proportions.
In the spring of that year, new recruits came and the entire army was retrained. Confidence and new skills grew while the weather warmed and on June 19, 1778, the Continental army marched out of Valley Forge transformed into unified fighting force.
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Washington's Winter Headquarters | |
Valley Forge is an area dedicated to preserving the story of the Revolutionary War and the story of the men who lost their lives on these hills in the winter of 200 years ago.
There are guided bus tours, as well as car tapes for self guided tours. We were lucky enough to have a personal guide who took us through the park to see the Memorial Arch, Washington's Headquarters, the Washington Memorial Chapel and the fields where example huts and encampments have been set up. Full reenactments are held several times throughout the year.
The park itself, with hills and panoramic views, is beautiful, encompassing 3,600 acres and open to joggers, walkers, bikers and visitors. The local park became a state park in 1893 and is an island of peace surrounded by a city of growth.
Washington's Headquarters, one of the few original buildings, is open to the public and “staffed” by park rangers in period dress. Washington, with over 25 to 30 staff officers and aides, was quartered in this small house for six months. They were the lucky ones to be out of the elements.
The Washington Memorial Chapel, built in 1903, is an active Episcopalian church. It is a small wayside chapel erected to celebrate our nation's freedom and history. Attached to the chapel is a Carillon put up by the Daughters of the American Revolution. It also houses the Justice Bell used between 1915 and 1920 to gain support for the campaign for woman's suffrage. It weighs 2,000 pounds and is a replica of the Liberty Bell. The ornate chapel has red cushioned seats, dark toned stained glass and intricate wood carved pews. In the darkened silence of the space it gives the visitor time to pause, rest, and reflect on the war, the army and their sacrifices.
After touring the park, we headed towards lunch and some browsing at the King of Prussia Mall. Hailed as the largest mall on the east coast, it has eight department stores and 400 shops and restaurants. If Donald was excited about spending the morning at a Revolutionary encampment, I was equally excited about spending the afternoon encamped in a mall.
We ate lunch at Maggiano's Corner in the parking area. You can't miss it. It’s a large black and white mansion style building with tall columns. In fact you may wish to follow your nose, because the cafe and bakery send out inviting smells. The menu is mostly soup and sandwiches on fresh crusted bread that you can also purchase to take home. Both the Broccoli Cheddar and the Chicken Corn soup were delicious. Donald, who never shares, let me taste his soup for story verification.
After far too little shopping, we headed over to the Wharton Esherick Museum, located deep on a wooded hill. Valley Forge we soon discovered has a lot more to share than just American History, as if that wouldn't be enough. It is also home to many artists. Esherick, a self taught artist considered to be the dean of American craftsman, lived from 1887 to 1970 and defies categorization. Originally a painter and a sculptor, Esherick actually built the home and studio that still stands. He liked to play with curves, which is expressed in the twisted roof beams and curved pathways. He also enjoyed experimenting with colors, as illustrated in the blue building which was his attempt to match his faded paint overalls and the multi colored windows. The "silo" added to his studio is painted in swirls of color, playing off of the surrounding trees. His work elicits a lot of joy, and Esherick, we learned, was a man who truly followed his bliss.
The studio is exactly how Esherick left it in 1970 when he died. The furniture throughout the house and the workplace became more than functional pieces of furniture but unique wooden sculptures. He believed in using the natural curve and shape of the wood and would not force wood to what he wanted. Through the years Esherick became more appreciated in both the art and architecture world. The red oak spiral staircase was actually displayed at the World's Fair of 1940, when he was obviously getting some recognition.
The whole house seems frozen in time, and the informal one and a half hour tour takes you into all of the living and working areas of this unique artist. Best of all, in this case, you really do not need to be an art lover to appreciate both the man and his work. It was an interesting afternoon.
Our last stop in Valley Forge was the Brandywine River Museum. This bright and airy museum is home to the Andrew Wyeth Gallery. Andrew Wyeth, an American artist who specialized in watercolors, spawned a whole family of artists and their works are on display here. N.C. Wyeth, his son, illustrated the series of Scribner Classics and 17 large canvasses are here. He completed more than 1,000 book and magazine illustrations, including Robin Hood and Kidnapped and his style was very familiar to me. James Wyeth, the grandson, worked in oils and mixed mediums and his many portraits can be seen.
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To Esherick even a door knob is Artwork | |
Our time in Valley Forge was too short, and if that old adage is true about leave them wanting more... I did.
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