Valley Forge National Historical Park
Why it's listed
Valley Forge National Historical Park is a historic district of about 3,465 acres about 12 miles west of Philadelphia, containing the site of the Continental Army's winter encampment of 1777-1778. The army arrived on December 19, 1777, and stayed for six months, during which it built roughly 900 to 2,000 huts, inner and outer lines of earthworks and redoubts designed under Louis Duportail, and a hospital in each brigade. Sullivan's bridge over the Schuylkill was completed by March 1778. The army left in June and went on to fight at Monmouth. The district is regarded as significant because the encampment is where the army overcame severe shortages of food, clothing and tools and developed the discipline and organization that later shaped its success. Surviving earthworks, monuments and sites from the 1777-1778 period and the later 19th-century industrial villages remain within the park boundaries.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | Mid-18th Century to early 19th century |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Acreage | 2515 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Valley Forge National Historical Park (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.