Moland House | |
Location | 1641 Old York Rd., Hartsville, Pennsylvania |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°14′10″N75°5′34″W / 40.23611°N 75.09278°W |
Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1750 |
Architectural style | Georgian |
NRHP reference No. | 89000352 [1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | May 19, 1989 |
Designated PHMC | October 21, 1947 [2] |
Moland House (also known as Washington's Headquarters Farm) is an old stone farmhouse built around 1750, by John Moland (b. 1700 London, England d. 1761), a Philadelphia and Bucks County lawyer. [3] Although physically located in Hartsville, Warwick Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, its mailing address is in Warminster Township, Pennsylvania.
The house served as the headquarters for General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War from August 10 to 23, 1777 while on the way to the Battle of Brandywine. The encampment stretched along both sides of Old York Road, on the slope of Carr's hill to the north; both sides of Bristol Road from Mearns Road to Meetinghouse Road. The Battle of Crooked Billet ended near here on May 1, 1778. [4] [5]
Moland House is owned by Warwick Township and is being restored and maintained by the Warwick Township Historical Society through grants from Warwick Township, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the federal government, plus by private foundations and individual donors. Restoration began in 1997, and although it is nearly complete, a number of projects remain to be funded.
In the early evening of August 10, 1777, 11,000 Continental Army and militia soldiers were marching up York Road towards the Cross Roads with Bristol Road (which is known today as Hartsville, PA) on their way to Coryell's Ferry (now New Hope), intending to camp four miles beyond the Delaware River in New Jersey.
General George Washington received a dispatch from John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress, which told Washington that the 260-vessel British fleet, hauling 17,000 British Army and Hessian troops under General William Howe, was fifty miles south of the Delaware Capes (Cape May and Cape Henlopen) on August 7.
Unsure and wary of Howe's intentions, Washington immediately halted his force to encamp around the bridge over the Little Neshaminy Creek in Warwick Twp. Knowing the area and having ridden through only ten days earlier, he selected the substantial stone dwelling of Widow Moland as his headquarters on the farm north of the bridge. General Washington held a "Council of War" with his four major generals and six brigadier generals in the Moland House.
While in Warwick Township the Betsy Ross flag, an American flag that was allegedly designed by Betsy Ross, was first presented to General Washington. Verbal history of the area alleges that the encampment was the site where the American flag was first flown. It was also here that the Marquis de Lafayette and Count Casimir Pulaski joined the American Revolution and distinguished themselves soon at the Battle of Brandywine and for many years thereafter in the fight for American freedom from England. [6]
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Moland House was recognized as an important landmark, however, it did remain a private residence. The Moland house was the site of meetings of history-interested groups during the first half of the 20th century. Members of Sons of the Revolution met there in 1903 and a group of French educators and military officers taking part in the Lafayette College Centennial Celebration met there 1932.
During the 1960s or early 1970s the Moland House ceased to be a private residence and became a rooming house. According to local residents, as a rooming house, it was frequented by members of motorcycle gangs. It fell into disrepair and was abandoned by 1985. It was then that a concerned group of local citizens began to take action and in concert with a local housing developer and local authorities, rescued Moland House.
Marker Text:
Gen. Washington's headquarters Aug. 10-23, 1777, during the Neshaminy encampment of 11,000 troops. Here, the Marquis de Lafayette functioned for the first time as Major General at the Council of War on Aug. 21, and Count Casimir Pulaski of Poland met Washington for the first time. An experienced military commander, Pulaski was later appointed Brigadier General of mounted troops and is remembered as the "Father of the American Cavalry." [2]
Preservation of the Moland house is in the hands of the Warwick Township Historical Society, P.O. Box 107, Jamison, PA 18929–0107.
Archaeological studies on the Moland House property have been performed by the Millbrook Society of Hatboro, PA., a non-profit organization, whose archaeological projects at the Moland House have included excavations, geophysical scanning, and the analysis of building features. You may find their reports under ARCHAEOLOGY at Millbrooksociety.
Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English county of Buckinghamshire.
Warwick Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,437 at the 2010 census.
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). The forces met near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. More troops fought at Brandywine than at any other battle of the American Revolution. It was also the second longest single-day battle of the war, after the Battle of Monmouth, with continuous fighting for 11 hours.
Brandywine Creek is a tributary of the Christina River in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware in the United States. The Lower Brandywine is 20.4 miles (32.8 km) long and is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River with several tributary streams. The East Branch and West Branch of the creek originate within 2 miles (3 km) of each other on the slopes of Welsh Mountain in Honey Brook Township, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of their confluence.
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.
Washington Crossing Historic Park is a 500-acre (2 km2) state park operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in partnership with the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. The park is divided into two sections. One section of the park, the "lower park," is headquartered in the village of Washington Crossing located in Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It marks the location of George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War.
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, responsible for the collection, conservation, and interpretation of Pennsylvania's heritage. The commission cares for historical manuscripts, public records, and objects of historical interest; museums; archeology; publications; historic sites and properties; historic preservation; geographic names; and the promotion of public interest in Pennsylvania history.
Pennsylvania was the site of many key events associated with the American Revolution and American Revolutionary War. The city of Philadelphia, then capital of the Thirteen Colonies and the largest city in the colonies, was a gathering place for the Founding Fathers who discussed, debated, developed, and ultimately implemented many of the acts, including signing the Declaration of Independence, that inspired and launched the revolution and the quest for independence from the British Empire.
Pennsylvania Route 263 (PA 263) is a north–south state highway located in southeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at PA 611 in Willow Grove, Montgomery County. The northern terminus is at the Centre Bridge–Stockton Bridge over the Delaware River in Centre Bridge, Bucks County, where the road continues into Stockton, New Jersey, as Bridge Street to an intersection with Route 29. PA 263 follows the routing of Old York Road, a historic road that connected Philadelphia to New York City, and carries the name York Road from the southern terminus to Lahaska and Upper York Road north of there. From Willow Grove to Buckingham, PA 263 runs mostly through suburban areas as a four-lane road, passing through Hatboro, Warminster, and Jamison. The route forms a concurrency with U.S. Route 202 (US 202) in Buckingham and narrows to a two-lane road, splitting with that route in Lahaska. From here, the route continues through rural areas to Centre Bridge.
Hope Lodge is a historic building located at 553 South Bethlehem Pike in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This mansion has been described as "one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture in this part of the country. It was used by Continental troops during the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign during the American Revolution.
Washington's Headquarters may refer to:
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 Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site is a National Historical Landmark. The historic park is owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, on 52 acres (210,000 m2), near Chadds Ford, Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States.
The Battle of the Clouds was an aborted engagement of the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War on September 16, 1777, in the area surrounding present day Malvern, Pennsylvania. After the American defeat at the Battle of Brandywine, the British Army remained encamped near Chadds Ford. When British commander William Howe was informed that the weakened American force was less than ten miles (16 km) away, he decided to press for another decisive victory.
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.
Old York Road is a roadway that was built during the 18th century to connect Philadelphia with New York City. Through New Jersey it was built along the Raritan "Naraticong Trail", also known as the Tuckaraming Trail. A memorial plaque to the friendship of the Naraticong Indians, who permitted the road to be built over their trail, is at the intersection of Old York Road and Canal in Raritan, NJ. The Swift Sure Stage Coach Line completed the journey between the two cities in two days and cost a few dollars.
Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse is a historic Quaker meeting house at 1245 Birmingham Road in Birmingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The current meetinghouse was built in 1763. The building and the adjacent cemetery were near the center of fighting on the afternoon of September 11, 1777 at the Battle of Brandywine. Worship services are held weekly at 10am. The meetinghouse and adjacent octagonal schoolhouse were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse and School on July 27, 1971.
The Reading Furnace Historic District is a national historic district that is located in Warwick Township and East Nantmeal Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Hartsville is a populated place that is situated at the crossroads of Bristol Road and the Old York Road, and straddles Warminster and Warwick Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States.
Little Neshaminy Creek is a tributary of the Neshaminy Creek, part of the Delaware River Watershed rising near the intersection of U.S. Route 202 and Pennsylvania Route 309 near Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania and meets its confluence with Neshaminy Creek at the Neshaminy's 24.10 River mile.