Did You Know?

Did You Know? (HM1GML)

Location: King of Prussia, PA 19406 Montgomery County
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Country: United States of America
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N 40° 6.136', W 75° 27.663'

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Inscription


Who owned and lived in the building when Washington arrived?


The house was built for Isaac Potts, and iron master who was one of the owners of the Valley Forge. At the time of the winter encampment in 1777, he was not living there but had rented to his aunt, Deborah Hewes.



What was the building used for before the winter encampment?

This was a relatively new dwelling built sometime between 1768 and 1770, one of the number of houses in this small, rural, industrial village.



Did the military seize the house for their use in 1777?

General Washington felt strongly that the American army should hold itself to a high standard. Unlike the common European practice, the American military generally did not forcibly seize property. The Continental Army paid Isaac Potts 100 pounds in Pennsylvania currency for the use of the house. Relative to the times, this was probably a fair amount.



Did Washington really sleep here?

George and Martha Washington slept here, as did many of the General aides-de-camp, or secretaries. The bedrooms are located on the second floor.



How many people lived in Headquarters?

As many as 25 people, all part of Washington's military household might have lived here. This included Washington, his aides-de-camp and other military staff, as well as the housekeeper, cooks, maids and servants, both free and enslaved.



Are the furnishings authentic?

The majority of the furnishings are reproductions of the items known to be used by General Washington and his military family during the encampment. In addition, there are items similar to what would have been left behind by Deborah Hewes when she rented the house to General Washington. Some items from the period are present.



Does the building look the same as it did in 1777 or has it been remodeled?

The larger selection of the building has the same appearance it had in 1777. Research, archaeological instructional investigation, and anecdotal histories have offered different views of the building through the years, leading to the most recent restoration in 1975. During the encampment, General Washington found the house to be too small, and added a log structure (now gone) to accommodate the large numbers living and working in the house.



Did Washington receive a salary is Commander-in-Chief of the Army?

Washington refused to accept any pay for his services. He kept a detailed expense account, which was submitted to and paid by the government.



What happened to the house after the revolution?

The property was used as a family home until 1878 when it was purchased by the Centennial and Memorial Association of Valley Forge for the purpose of preservation and commemoration of the encampment. In 1893 the state of Pennsylvania acquired the home and surrounding lands—forming Pennsylvania's first state park. In 1976 stewardship passed to the National Park Service.



(captions)

(lower left) 1861. This is the earliest known photograph of Washington Headquarters, taken when it was still a private residence.

(center) 1880. This very early photo shows a two-story kitchen wing on the left of the building as well as a two-story structure at the rear

(upper right) 1905. The kitchen is reduced to one story and a fence and entry portal define the front.

(middle right) 1915. Headquarters is promoted as a destination for horse-drawn carriages as well as automobiles

(lower right) 1960s. The kitchen wing on the left side of the building is raised the two stories.



Since the national park was established in 1976, further restoration has been done on the building and grounds. As you look at the Headquarters, can you tell what has changed since the 1960 photo?
Details
HM NumberHM1GML
Tags
Placed ByValley Forge National Historical Park
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at 6:54am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18T E 460703 N 4439209
Decimal Degrees40.10226667, -75.46105000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 40° 6.136', W 75° 27.663'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds40° 6' 8.16" N, 75° 27' 39.78" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)484, 610, 215, 267
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 4023 Valley Creek Rd, King of Prussia PA 19406, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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