Waynesborough, also known as the Gen. Anthony Wayne House, is a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

at 2049 Waynesborough Road in

Easttown Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania Easttown Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,477 at the 2010 census. History The land that eventually became Easttown Township was once part of the Welsh Tract, a large expanse of land pr ...

. Built in 1724 and repeatedly enlarged, it was for many years the home of

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

general

Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...

(1745–1796). A

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

, it is now a museum operated by the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, offering tours and event rentals.

Description and history

Waynesborough is located about south of the center of Paoli, on the north side of Waynesborough Road. It is a roughly U-shaped stone structure, the main block stories in height and covered by a gabled roof. It is five bays wide, with a center entrance sheltered by a gabled hood. The roof has two gabled dormers to the front and three to the rear, with two interior stone chimneys. Lower two-story wings extend toward the rear on the right side and to the left on the left side. The left (west) wing is the oldest portion of the house. The oldest portion of the house was built by Wayne's grandfather, Captain W.M. Wayne, in 1724. Captain Wayne's son enlarged the house in 1765 and a wing was added in 1812. It was at Waynesborough that Anthony Wayne was born in 1745, and it was his home for all but the last five years of his life. Wayne continued his father's farm and tannery, and became involved in the

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

cause early in 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 ...

. He distinguished himself as a military leader in the

for his brash and sometimes risky maneuvers, winning him the moniker "Mad" Anthony. He died in what is now

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

, while leading troops in the aftermath of the

Northwest Indian War The Northwest Indian War (1786–1795), also known by other names, was an armed conflict for control of the Northwest Territory fought between the United States and a united group of Native American nations known today as the Northwestern ...

. The Waynesborough property remained in the hands of Wayne's direct descendants until 1965, and was in 1980 transferred to a local preservation group. The

Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks The Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks (aka Landmarks) founded in 1931, maintains and preserves four historic house museums in the region around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These are: * Grumblethorpe * Hill-Physick-Keith Hous ...

now manages the property, and offers tours from mid-March through December on Thursday through Sunday.

Gallery

Image:Waynesborough 1919.JPG, Waynesborough, front view, circa 1919 Image:Waynesborough, 2049 Waynesborough Road (Easttown Township), Paoli vicinity (Chester County, Pennsylvania).jpg, Waynesborough, rear view in 1960

References

External links

Historic Waynesborough – official web sitePhiladelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks: Waynesborough

Waynesborough, 2049 Waynesborough Road (Easttown Township), Paoli, Chester County, PA
5 photos, 7 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Museums in Chester County, Pennsylvania Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Historic American Buildings Survey in Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1724 Historic house museums in Pennsylvania Biographical museums in Pennsylvania Houses in Chester County, Pennsylvania American Revolutionary War museums in Pennsylvania Georgian architecture in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Chester County, Pennsylvania 1724 establishments in Pennsylvania

Description and history

Gallery

See also

References

External links