The Village of Valley Forge is an unincorporated settlement located on the west side of
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, taking place from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site a ...
at the confluence of
Valley Creek and the
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...
in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. The remaining village is in
Schuylkill Township of
Chester County Chester County may refer to:
* Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
* Chester County, South Carolina, United States
* Chester County, Tennessee
Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, th ...
, but once spanned Valley Creek into
Montgomery County. The name Valley Forge is often used to refer to anywhere in the general vicinity of the park, and many places actually in
King of Prussia
The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...
,
Trooper,
Oaks, and other nearby communities will use the name, leading to some ambiguity on the actual location of the modern village.
There is a partial re-creation of the historic village from the time of the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
that is located next door, and just within the outskirts of the park.
Valley Forge is known by travelers in the
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
area as the westbound
control city
A control city is a city, locality, or other location posted on a series of traffic signs along a particular stretch of road indicating destinations on that route. Together with route numbers and cardinal directions, these focal points aid the m ...
on
Interstate 76
Interstate 76 may refer to:
Interstate Highways in the United States
* Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska)
* Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania
Video gaming
* ''Interstate '76
''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...
(the
Schuylkill Expressway
The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as "the Schuylkill", is a Controlled-access highway, freeway through southern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Philade ...
), as it is near where I-76 joins the
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...
. This remains, despite no exit being designated for Valley Forge, since the previous exit became the off-ramp to Mall Boulevard, serving King of Prussia.
Mount Joy & Valley Forges
In 1751 there was a forge for the conversion of
pig-iron into
bar-iron at the mouth of the East Valley creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River, advertised for sale as the property of Daniel Walker, Stephen Evans, and Joseph Williams. It was then called Mount Joy forge. Some years afterward it came to be known as Valley Forge. The pig-iron used at Valley Forge was hauled from
Warwick furnace. In September, 1777, the forge was burned by the British, and in December the army under Washington was entrenched on Montgomery County side of Valley creek, opposite Valley Forge.
General Washington's headquarters were established at the substantial stone-house of Isaac Potts. After the Revolution another Valley Forge was built on the other side of Valley creek; it was in ruins in 1816.
[James M. Swank, The Iron and Steel Industries of Pennsylvania, ''Annual Report of the Secretary of Internal Affairs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania'' (1883) Part III, ''Industrial Statistics'']
Vol. X 1881-82, ''Report of the Bureau of Industrial Statistics'', Legislative Document, No. 7
pp. 20-21.
American Revolutionary War encampment
Valley Forge is mostly known for the lending of its name to the encampment of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
's
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
during the winter of 1777 to 1778.
Notable people
*
Tory Burch
Tory Burch (née Robinson; born June 17, 1966) is an American fashion designer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is the Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of her own brand, Tory Burch LLC. She was listed as the 88th most powerf ...
*
Andy Hummel
John Andrew Hummel (January 26, 1951 – July 19, 2010) was an American bassist and singer-songwriter best known as the bass player of Big Star.
See also
*
Valley Forge
Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the B ...
*
Washington Memorial Chapel
Washington Memorial Chapel — located on Pennsylvania Route 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park — is both a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal parish in Valley Forge, Pennsylvani ...
References
External links
Old Train station
{{authority control
Valley Forge
Unincorporated communities in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania
Populated places on the Schuylkill River