Valley Forge Pilgrimage

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 British capture of the city. After failing to retake Philadelphia, Washington led his 12,000-man army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, located approximately 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Philadelphia. They remained there for six months, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778.At Valley Forge, the Continental Army struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while retraining and reorganizing their units. About 1,700 to 2,000 soldiers died from disease, possibly exacerbated by malnutrition. Valley Forge National Historical Park, established as a national historic site in 1976, protects and preserves over 3,500 acres of the original encampment site. In 2011, 1.3 million people visited the park.

Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site and interprets the history of the Valley Forge encampment. The park contains historical buildings, recreated encampment structures, memorials, museums, and recreation facilities. The park encompasses 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) and is visited by over 1.2 million people each year. Visitors can see restored historic structures, reconstructed structures such as the iconic log huts, and monuments erected by the states from which the Continental soldiers came. Visitor facilities include a visitor center and museum featuring original artifacts and providing an introduction to the American Revolution and the Valley Forge encampment. Ranger programs, tours (walking and trolley), and activities are available seasonally. The park also provides 26 miles (42 km) of hiking and biking trails, which are connected to a regional trails system. Wildlife watching, fishing, and boating on the nearby Schuylkill River also are popular.

The United States National Memorial Arch, located in Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania, is a monument built to celebrate the arrival of General George Washington and the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Valley Forge was the military camp 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia where the Continental Army spent the winter of 1777–78 during the American Revolutionary War. Starvation, disease, malnutrition, and exposure killed more than 2,500 American soldiers by the end of February 1778. The arch is physically in Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County.

Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge National Historical Park is a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal parish in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The church was inspired by a sermon preached by Anglican minister Reverend Dr. W. Herbert Burk, founder and first rector of the parish. The building was designed by architect Milton B. Medary. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 2017, and is undergoing an active restoration campaign.It is physically located in Upper Merion Township.

Philicon Valley is a neologism for Philadelphia's version of Silicon Valley. Forbes coined the term on November 17, 1999 to refer specifically to the suburbs of Valley Forge and Wayne, Pennsylvania, which was also referred to as "Silicon Valley Forge" and "E-Valley Forge." In the Delaware Valley, many "... new-economy companies have located themselves in the suburbs along Route 202..." due to the high tax base in the city of Philadelphia. From a marketing perspective, the term has been used by Internet companies to lure potential employees in the tech sector, that markets the firm as part of a large community of like companies in a suburb of Philadelphia. "Pennsylvania Dutch Country is only about a 90 minute drive away..." noting that the area is home to "... large high-tech companies..." The lure in the region has many Penn graduates, as well as other graduates do not consider Philadelphia to be the "hot spot" and some have chosen this region as an alternative. A briefing on the region, says the area contributes to Pennsylvania being ranked eighth in hi tech employing more than 170,000 according to the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, WHYY-TV, and the Council for Urban Economic Development.

The Port Kennedy Bone Cave is a limestone cave in the Port Kennedy section of Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania, USA. The Bone Cave "contained one of the most important middle Pleistocene (Irvingtonian, approximately 750,000 years ago) fossil deposits in North America".

The Bridge in Tredyffrin Township was a historic stone arch bridge carrying Gulph Road across Trout Creek in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA. It had one span, a solid, semicircular stone arch 27.8 feet (8.5 m) long. There were stone wing walls at each end, with roughly squared stone voussoirs forming the arch ring. The vault of the arch had been sealed with gunite when the bridge was surveyed in 1982, and the parapets had also been topped with concrete. The bridge was built at an unknown date in the late 19th or early 20th century, and was a well-preserved, typical example of stone arch bridge construction in that period.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The bridge was replaced in 2008 with a concrete beam bridge finished with a stone facade to resemble the old structure. It was delisted from the National Register in 2010.

Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge, also known as the Isaac Potts House, is a historic house that served as General George Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge during the American Revolutionary War. The building, which still stands, is one of the centerpieces of Valley Forge National Historical Park in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The house was built about 1773, and Washington made it his headquarters during the Continental Army encampment between December 1777 and June 1778. The restored building is part of the Valley Forge National Historical Park and is open to the public. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972.The house is located in Upper Merion Township.

Valley Creek is a 10.8-mile-long (17.4 km) tributary of the Schuylkill River in eastern Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, flowing through an area known as the Great Valley.Around 1740 a forge was erected along Valley Creek near its confluence with the Schuylkill. This gave rise to the community of Valley Forge. Later the creek powered a saw mill and grist mill there. In 1777, the forge and mills were destroyed by the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. In December 1777, George Washington chose Valley Forge as the site for the winter encampment of the Continental Army partly because Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River formed natural defensive barriers for the rear of the camp. Washington's Headquarters during this period was in a farmhouse close to the confluence. The American forces departed in the spring of 1778.

Federal Barn, also known as the barn at Cressbrook Farm, is a historic barn located in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The barn was built in two sections; the older dated to 1792 and the second section to about 1840. It is a two-story., six bay, Pennsylvania bank barn. It is of fieldstone and frame construction and has a gable roof. The barn is located about 150 feet from Cressbrook Farm house.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Joseph Walker House, also known as Wayne's Quarters, is a historic home located in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The house was built in four sections, with the oldest dated to about 1757. It is the three bay at the western end of the eleven bay house, and is a two-story, double pile stone structure. The additions took place about 1820, about 1870, and about 1920. It was renovated in 1950 and Colonial Revival details added. During the American Revolution the house served as headquarters for General Anthony Wayne in late-1777 and early-1778, during the encampment at Valley Forge.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Cressbrook Farm, also known as the Former Quarters of Brigadier General Duportail, is a historic home located in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The original house was built about 1745, and it has been enlarged several times since the main portion was added in 1825. It is a 2+1⁄2-story, five-bay, stuccoed stone structure. During the American Revolution the house served as headquarters for Brigadier General Louis Lebègue Duportail in late 1777 and early 1778, during the encampment at Valley Forge.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Located adjacent to the house is the Federal Barn, listed in 1980.