Traveling Thursdays: Valley Forge

234 years ago, George Washington and his troops weathered the cold by camping in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Only about 1/3 of the soldiers had shoes, and many of their feet were leaving bloody footprints. Though construction of more than a thousand huts provided shelter, they did little to help with malnourishment, inadequate clothing, and the spread of disease and sickness.

Can you imagine spending the winter in one of these?





Washington's Headquarters is definitely a bit nicer:





What a kitchen!



The site of the encampment became a Pennsylvania state park in 1893. Today, the park features historical and recreated buildings and structures, memorials, and a newly renovated visitor center. A chapel was built in 1903 as a memorial to Washington. An adjoining carillon of 58 bells represents all U.S. states and territories. It resides in a tower built by the Daughters of the American Revolution.







Nearby is the National Memorial Arch, designed by Paul Philippe Cret, as a simplified version of the Triumphal Arch of Titus in Rome. Dedication ceremonies were conducted on June 19, 1917. It bears this inscription:

Naked and starving as they are
We cannot enough admire
The incomparable Patience and Fidelity
of the Soldiery
–George Washington





Even away from Disneyland, I still love the details:



See more Valley Forge photos on my Valley Forge web page.