History

 Almighty God We make our earnest prayer that Thou will keep the United States in Thy holy protection....

 We had planned on taking grandson Larry to Hope NJ to see the graves of his ancestors and to begin to fill in his family history book.  However, having talked to someone in the area, I discovered the area is still recovering from the storm Irene, so we went, instead, to Valley Forge.  There were McCays who fought at Valley Forge, and as Larry loves history, we thought it a good alternative.  Above you see the two Larrys in front of a display of a bear type, the Giant Short Faced Bear, which once populated our area.  It became extinct about 12,000 years ago.  I, for one, am glad we don't see this fellow wandering our woods anymore!  Odd side note:  came home, had dinner, clicked on the tv and there to my wondering eyes, a special on the above mentioned bear - a bear I'd never heard of before!  What are the odds? 

 Our guide, Doug, was very informative - presenting the Civilian perspective on the war.  While he did touch upon the soldiers and their lives at Valley Forge, we mostly heard about the impact the war and the presence of the soldiers had upon the farmers upon whose land the encampment grew.  My own respect for General Washington was raised even higher hearing how he was burdened to not only run the campaign against the English, but a campaign to keep civilian sympathies with the American Patriots.  His was an almost endless battle on all sides, attempting to control the actions of his soldiers on and off the battlefield.

 About 12 soldiers shared the small cabins built from local trees and mud.

 Field bake oven.

 The last couple of times we have been to Valley Forge, the George Washington Chapel Cabin Shop was closed.  Allow me to tell you what a treat it is when opened!  $5 will buy you a wonderful sandwich of homemade chicken or tuna salad on either wheat or potato bread, attended by a side of coleslaw, chips or carrots.  If that weren't enough to tempt, there are homemade goodies including pie, shoo-fly cake $1, large cookies $1, brownies, pound cake, and many mini loaf breads.  There is also a section of home canned goodies!

 I picked up a couple of souvenirs for my friend Pat in South Africa and as I paid for same, I discovered one of the ladies working there was from South Africa!  We had quite a conversation and it never ceases to amaze me how the mention of So. Africa almost always results in a similar conversation!

 The Washington Memorial Chapel, on private property within the park.  It has an active congregation - the Cabin Shop is solely run by volunteers from the church.  The gorgeous interior of the chapel honors George Washington's service to his country, and also many, many others who have performed such service.
The beautiful carillon bells fill the valley with the most moving music go here  Bells

 The Justice Bell, a copy of the Liberty Bell with the addition of "establish Justice" to the inscription, was used between 1915 and 1920 to call attention to and gain support for the campaign for women's suffrage. The bell's casting was commissioned by Chester County's Katharine Wentworth Ruschenberger, an active member of the National Woman Suffrage Association, which later became the League of Woman Voters. The clapper was chained to its side silencing the 2,000 pound bell.

 Grieving Mothers, also known as Sacrifice and Devotion, was executed by Bela Lyon Pratt in 1914. The bronze kneeling woman is dedicated to the mothers of the nation and in memory of Henrietta Armitt (brown) Heckscher, who died in child birth on June 11, 1912. The piece, which sits in enclosed garden of the Cloisters of the Colonies, was commissioned by Stevens Heckscher, the husband of Henrietta Heckscher.

 The oldest known picture of Washington's Headquarters - from - I believe - around 1860's.

 Current building