This year is especially significant for Valley Forge National Historical Park, which features several must-see destinations in celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial, write Nikki DeMentri and Casey Kuhn for CBS News Philadelphia.
“We are celebrating the commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s gift to the American people of Valley Forge,” said Adam Gresek, director of visitor and community engagement.
The park was established 50 years ago, on July 4, 1976. Today, blanketed in snow, it evokes the harsh winter conditions endured by Gen. George Washington and his troops nearly 250 years ago.
A stop at the Muhlenberg Brigade is a must for visitors, where, at one time, around 12,000 soldiers, plus hundreds of women and children, lived in the huts.
“You would have 12 soldiers staying in each hut,” said Gresek. “That was the order from Gen. Washington.”
Next is the stunning National Memorial Arch, completed in 1917 to honor the 2,000 soldiers who lost their lives at Valley Forge.
The third must-stop is the statue of Major Gen. Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben, who was responsible for transforming “the Continental Army into a professional military force” during the Revolutionary War, said Gresek.
Read more about Valley Forge National Historical Park at CBS News Philadelphia.
