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Revolutionary Driving Tour
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Washington Crossing
Photo by K. Stoner for GPTMC
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Location:
Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties
Transportation:
Driving
Duration:
3 Days
After the call to independence was sounded in Philadelphia, it was played out in the surrounding countryside by a young army whose spirit was forged through hardship and determination.
Now, over two centuries later, you can follow the same winding roads along which Washington's troops marched and tour the old stone homes and farmsteads that played a part in the struggle.
Beginning with the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, this Revolutionary War tour follows Washington's army to Valley Forge, tracing the troops’ progress through the fall and winter of 1777-78 and combining historical details with current information on attractions.
Day One: The Battle of Brandywine
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Brandywine Battlefield Park
Photo by H. Mahnke
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Your tour begins in Chester County’s historic Brandywine area, where you can fuel up for your ambitious agenda at Hank’s Place, a diamond-in-the-rough restaurant serving the best home cooked breakfast in town, according to local residents.
Now you’re ready to travel back to the 18th century and over to 50-acre Brandywine Battlefield Park. At the Visitor’s Center, you can add detail to the following basic sketch of this historic battle:
British Commander-in-Chief General William Howe was determined to take Philadelphia, and set sail from Sandy Hook in Northern New Jersey on July 23, 1777, with 260 ships. Although Washington’s troops had the Delaware River well-defended, the British army advanced north through Maryland and, on September 11, forded the Brandywine at an undefended spot, surprising Washington's army with an attack from two sides. After five attempts to surge forward in the murderous fight, the Americans finally retreated toward the village of Dilworth. Despite this loss, however, the Continental Army's courageous stand convinced France to form an alliance with the Americans.
Reenactments of the battle occur annually in September, but you can tour the headquarters of both General Washington (Benjamin Ring House) and General Lafayette (Gideon Gilpin’s Farm House) all year round, as well as enjoy the park’s many artifacts and historical exhibits.
To learn more about the Revolutionary War period and the region’s history, a stop at the Chester County Historical Society is highly recommended. Inside the Society’s new History Center in West Chester you’ll find permanent and rotating exhibits, an interactive History Lab, and a Museum Shop with some wonderful books and souvenirs. The History Center also sponsors various lectures, workshops, tours and trips, family programs, and special events.
As a further complement to your tour—particularly if you are an art lover—visit the Brandywine River Museum, a converted 19th century grist mill featuring works by American artists and widely known for its collection of paintings by three generations of the Wyeth family.
Your next destination, The General Warren Inne, returns you to the Revolutionary War landscape and the site of a surprise attack now known as the Paoli Massacre. Less than two weeks after the Battle of Brandywine, British soldiers tortured a local blacksmith until he revealed the location of General “Mad Anthony” Wayne's secret camp. During the night of September 20-21, using only bayonets, the British killed between 50 and 100 men and wounded about 150 more. General Wayne, who led the Pennsylvania Line in the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown and earned his nickname for his battlefield daring, was court-martialed after this unexpected attack, although subsequently exonerated. The historic General Warren Inne is still in operation today as a bed and breakfast and award-winning restaurant—so you can stay and enjoy lunch while you’re here.
Next visit Waynesborough, the former home of General "Mad Anthony" Wayne himself. On the night of the Paoli Massacre, a British squad searched the general’s mansion in hopes of finding him, but came back empty-handed. Today, beautifully decorated and restored Waynesborough commemorates this elusive and recognizable Revolutionary War hero, whom President Theodore Roosevelt called one of America’s greatest fighting generals.
For a departure from war history, you can peruse a colorful array of flowers and greenery at Chanticleer Gardens or do a little shopping at Spread Eagle Village, a lovely open-air mall located on Philadelphia’s Main Line in Wayne, PA. When you’re ready for dinner, you’ll find many restaurants in and around Wayne, ranging from casual to upscale. Or you can head back to the Brandywine area for a candlelight dinner at the Historic Dilworthtown Inn, which offers exceptional cuisine and a fitting 18th century atmosphere in keeping with your tour.
Day Two: The Battles of Germantown and Old Gulph Road
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Re-enactment at Pennypacker Mills
Photo by R. Buser
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Like the Brandywine area, there is a wealth of Revolutionary War history to unearth in Philadelphia’s Germantown section and in adjacent Montgomery County. General Howe’s main army occupied Germantown on Sept 25, eight days after Congress fled Philadelphia in anticipation of the British invasion. The next day the British marched into Philadelphia unopposed and by September 30, Washington learned that General Howe had divided his troops, leaving Germantown vulnerable.
Begin today’s sightseeing at Pennypacker Mills, the sprawling farmlands where Washington's army encamped in late September and retreated to following the battle of Germantown. This 135-acre gentleman's farm and colonial revival mansion comprise the summer estate of former Pennsylvania Governor Samuel Pennypacker. You can take a guided tour of the lovely grounds and the furnished house, as well as the summer kitchen (outbuilding) that was converted to the Governor’s private “museum.”
While you’re in the area, stop to browse around quaint Skippack Village, another of Washington’s encampment sites prior to the Battle of Germantown. Within the village’s 18th and 19th century buildings you’ll now find many gift and specialty shops as well as fine art galleries to explore. You can also head east to Graeme Park, the 44-acre historic area surrounding the home of Sir William Keith, Provincial Governor of Pennsylvania under British rule. This mansion is the state’s only remaining residence of a colonial governor. If the weather is nice you can walk along the lovely nature trails here and even enjoy a picnic lunch right in the park.
The next house on your tour, the Peter Wentz Farmstead, temporarily served as General Washington’s residence during the war and witnessed his formulation of an intricate plan to attack the British forces in Germantown. Threats against Washington's life at this time were so severe that his personal cook locked himself in the kitchen day and night, guarding the food supply against the possibility of poisoning. In the centuries that followed, the 1758 farmhouse was restored and renovated, and out in the barn houses you will see shorthorn milking cows and Morgan horses typical of the breeds kept during Washington’s time. You might even be treated to a colonial craft demonstration, which occur at special events throughout the year.
On November 2, just a month after the Battle of Germantown, American troops marched to Whitemarsh, encamping both in the fields surrounding nearby Hope Lodge and Mather Mill, the Georgian estate built by wealthy Quaker entrepreneur Samuel Morris, and around today’s Fort Washington State Park, named for the redoubt fort that Washington’s troops built in the fall of 1777 before heading to Valley Forge. Hope Lodge also served as Surgeon General John Cochran's Headquarters during the fall and winter of 1777-78. Today, the lodge is furnished in both the colonial and colonial revival styles and boasts extensive exterior gardens. Along with Mather Mill, Hope Lodge represents an excellent example of early 18th century Georgian architecture and the era’s agricultural lifestyle.
You can travel just north of Hope Lodge to see historic Clifton House, built in 1801 and today encompassing a museum and local library. Further east on Route 73, you’ll find The Highlands Mansion and Gardens, home of Anthony Morris, speaker of the House of Representatives. In addition to the mansion, be sure to wander around the interesting outhouses on the grounds, including a “necessary,” a smokehouse, an ice house, a tool shed, a bank barn, and a revival-style gardener’s cottage.
To revisit the Battle of Germantown, head toward the site, east on Germantown Avenue, just as Washington’s army did on the night of October 3-4. In a courageous and complex attempt to drive the British out of Germantown, some 12,000 men moved silently down the road toward Mount Airy that dark night in four columns. Despite all of their precautions, however, British pickets detected and fired at them, alerting the rest of the British army. The Americans routed the British Light Infantry, but became enmeshed in a misguided and unsuccessful attempt to take Cliveden house, and ultimately were forced to retreat back to Pennypacker Mills.
When you visit Cliveden today, you can see bullets still embedded in its walls, or even witness a reenactment of the battle each year in October. The historic house museum includes original furnishings and decorative arts and is surrounded by six beautifully landscaped acres.
There are several more historic homes to see in Germantown. Grumblethorpe, John Wister’s 1744 architectural legacy, served as his family’s summer residence and as their refuge from the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. During this time of widespread illness in Philadelphia, the President and Mrs. Washington and their children lived in Deschler-Morris House. Washington’s cabinet met here as well.
Nine generations of a Philadelphia Quaker family resided in Wyck, and filled their beautiful home with fine antique furniture and artwork that still remain today, along with a lovely 18th rose garden. This National Historic Landmark house and garden served as a field hospital in the Battle of Germantown and was visited by George Washington and Marquis de Lafayette.
Sitting on three acres of a former 500-acre plantation, Stenton is another of Philadelphia’s earliest and well-preserved historic mansions. Built and owned by James Logan, Secretary to Pennsylvania founder William Penn, Stenton served as headquarters to General Washington prior to the Battle of Brandywine. British General Sir William Howe later occupied and made the house his headquarters during the Battle of Germantown. A decade after the war, Washington dined here with Dr. George Logan while in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention.
Although it was built a century after the Revolution in 1859, you might want to include the Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion on your house tour list. Containing a museum and surrounded by gardens, it is one of many striking and well-preserved Victorian homes in the Tulpehocken Station Historic District.
Finally, visit the gothic stone mansion that now houses the Germantown Historical Society, where you can learn more about the area and additional attractions, including lovely Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, the state’s official arboretum listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Woodmere Art Museum, a collection of more than 2,500 works of art gracing the Victorian mansion of self-made millionaire Charles Knox Smith (1845-1916).
If you’re ready for a break, or when dinnertime rolls around, you can head up Germantown Avenue to the National Historic District of Chestnut Hill, where you’ll find not only plenty of restaurants, but also lots of shops, galleries, and charming architecture to admire. Looking for an 18th century dinner setting? Try Chestnut Hill’s Cresheim Cottage Café and you won’t be disappointed.
Once again, after the Battle of Germantown, Washington’s troops set up camp in the Whitemarsh area. However, a series of skirmishes convinced the General that Whitemarsh was highly vulnerable to a surprise attack, so he began marching his men westward, hoping to camp at Gulph Mills. On December 11, a column of 3,000 British soldiers, marching from Philadelphia, engaged Pennsylvania militiamen in battle along a 12-mile front from the city to Old Gulph Road and today's Montgomery Avenue.
Drive along these roads today, you will pass the famous “Hanging Rock” under which Washington’s troops marched, as well as structures that survived the Battle of Old Gulph Road. One of these, Harriton House, is the former residence of Charles Thomson, secretary to the Continental Congress and the man who later informed Washington of his appointment as the new nation's first president. Originally a 700 acre estate, Harriton now comprises a 16 ½ acre park. You can tour the fully restored, circa 1704 mansion and admire the 18th century antiques and furnishings, many of which belonged to Thomson.
As an alternative to Chestnut Hill, you can have dinner (and shop!) nearby Harriton along Philadelphia’s Main Line. Suburban Square, America’s oldest outdoor shopping mall, is a short drive down Montgomery Avenue and you’ll find plenty of restaurants in the vicinity.
Day Three: The Winter at Valley Forge
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Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC
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Perhaps the best known of all historic sites in Greater Philadelphia is Valley Forge National Historical Park. In 1777, Valley Forge was a quiet village surrounded by farms. The British raided the little town in September of that year, destroying a sawmill and two iron forges. Several months later, battered by defeats throughout the fall, Washington chose Valley Forge for a winter encampment, safe from a surprise attack by the British, who held Philadelphia. And so, on December 19, 1777, some 12,000 troops marched out along the Old Gulph Road into Valley Forge. Many had no boots or shoes; their feet were bound in rags as protection against the icy, frozen roads. They lived in tents while working to build rough log huts, each housing 12 men sleeping on flimsy plank beds. By February, when all the huts were finished, death, disease, and desertions had reduced the population at camp to 6,000. Into this chaos came Baron Frederick Von Steuben, whose enthusiasm and energy won over the soldiers, enabling him to mold them into an effective fighting force.
Today, the 3,600-acre Valley Forge National Historical Park includes Washington’s Headquarters, Washington’s Memorial Chapel, Artillery Park, the National Memorial Arch, a statue of General “Mad” Anthony Wayne, the Monument to Patriots of African Descent, the Muhlenberg Huts (reconstructions of original soldiers’ log huts), the Grand Parade Ground, where the Revolutionary troops marched in 1778 to mark the American-French alliance, and the Valley Forge Historical Society Museum, where you’ll find a collection of 4,000 artifacts and memorabilia. Before heading to any of these attractions, it’s best to stop at the Visitors Center, located at the junction of Route 23 and North Gulph Road, and pick up a map of the park.
A great place to stop for lunch—especially if you like shopping—is The Plaza and The Court at the King of Prussia Mall, the nation's second largest shopping mall only a few miles away from Valley Forge. You’ll find a diverse selection of restaurants both in and around the Plaza and Court. Antique collectors might want to drive a little further down the road to Weigh Back When Antiques, a shop housed in an 1850 residence, where you just might find an 18th century heirloom!
After lunch and shopping, head to Pottsgrove Manor, an elegant Georgian mansion built in 1754 and the former home of colonial ironmaster John Potts, founder of Pottstown. Washington's troops set up camp just north of here from September 22-26, 1777. Later that winter, during the Valley Forge encampment, Pottstown served as a supply base where the troops would go to forage for food and other necessities. In 1777, Pottsgrove Manor was the home of Potts’s son, Col. Thomas Potts, who served in the Pennsylvania militia. Interestingly, his brother Isaac owned the house that served as Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge. A special event each September called "Camp Pottsgrove" reenacts army camp life.
Your next stop is Hopewell Furnace National Historical Site. Built in 1770, just five years before the Revolutionary War broke out, Hopewell Furnace became vital to the war effort, casting cannon and manufacturing ammunition and other equipment needed by the Continental army. Today, Hopewell Furnace and village recreate the daily life of an early American industrial community.
An excellent place to wrap up your sightseeing, Chester County’s Historic Yellow Springs encompasses 145 acres of beautiful open space and 14 historic buildings. As a capstone to your Revolutionary War overview, you can see the foundations of an army hospital Washington established in the winter of 1777. You can also enjoy a wonderful dinner at the upscale Inn at Yellow Springs. Dating back to 1750, the Inn offers an ideal historic setting to celebrate your successful 18th century tour.
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