The History of the Valley Forge Meadow
by Lee Kirts and Mike Bertram

The meadow at Valley Forge, on the opposite side of the Creek from Washington’s Headquarters, was originally part of the Forge tract, and covered an area of 9 acres and 113 perches. It was purchased by Jacob Paul, a miller, in 1796 from David and Mary Potts. Paul also purchased 105 acres in Montgomery County including the Grist Mill and the Washington’s Headquarters site.

In 1874 Hannah Ogden and Nathaniel H. Jones, who then owned the meadow, sold two tracts on the Philadephia road. On the larger tract Sarah Miller built a store (there were already other stores in Valley Forge). The smaller tract was purchased by the trustees of Camp 150 of the Patriotic Order of the Sons of America (POSA), who built a meeting hall.

POSA Meeting Hall and store, 1878¹
(Cotton Mill in the background)

Marching Band at Meeting Hall, early 1900s¹ . Bandsmen (left to right): Dave Conway, Edward Brittain, Frank Rowan, Quinn, Jack Hartshaw, Robert Wood sr., Quinn, Harry Jarrett, Joe Orner, Robert Wood jr., John Brittain, Levering Conway

Front of POSA building²

Store, POSA building and imported forge², ³

Drawing by Charles Morris Young, 1911

Sarah Miller died in 1886 and the store descended to Mary Kay. Mary sold it to John H. Rowan in 1887. The store stayed in the Rowan family until 1918 when it was sold to David Midgley.

Porch at Rowan Store, 1890¹
Standing (from left to right): Franklin Rowan, possibly Anna May Rowan, Eliza Ann Rowan (identifications by Lee Kirts)

Midgley Store⁴

The State Park purchased the buildings through eminent domain and demolished the buildings in 1919.

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VALLEY FORGE, PA., Feb. 23 [1919]. - A jury of view consisting of W. E. Bushong, W. B. Cox and Harry Hause, have made the following awards of damages for land taken at the instance of the Valley Forge Park Commission for park purposes.

Francis M. Bean, who conducts the Valley Forge Silica, Sand and Ore Company plant, was awarded $8550 for his homestead property, comprising more than an acre of land and buildings thereon and a water right through the property. He had presented a claim of $18,000. David Midgley. Jr., station agent at the local depot, who also owns and conducts the local store and coal scales, was awarded $7500 for his home and store building and scales. He claimed $23,000 by reason of the necessity of a forced sale of his grocery stock, the loss of use of his scales and loss of a residence convenient to his work⁵.

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See Deed History for more details on the deeds.

POSA re-established it presence at Valley Forge by leasing a building on the south side of the road, which it still occupies today⁶.

References

1. Photograph courtesy of Lee Kirts.
2. Photograph courtesy of the Patriotic Order, Sons of America
3. The story of the imported forge to be written.
4. This photograph appears to have been taken after the POSA building was demolished.
5. Philadelphia Inquirer 2/23/1919.
6. See POSA Building.