Historic Waynesborough
Waynesborough is a magnificent country manor house in the Georgian style located five miles from Valley Forge National Historic Park. Its most famous occupant was Major General Anthony Wayne (1745-1796), a Revolutionary War hero. Wayne served with General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, led the Pennsylvania Line in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, weathered the Valley Forge encampment and fought on Monmouth. He was elevated to the status of national hero after his decisive victory in 1779 at Stony Point on the Hudson River.
After the war, Washington appointed Wayne first commander of the Legions of America (United States Army). He fortified and defended the western frontier against further encroachment by the British and Indians, and defeated the Indian nations at the Battle of Fallen Timers, thus opening the territory for settlement. Fort Wayne, Indiana and countless smaller towns, townships and counties in Pennsylvania and today’s upper Midwest bear his name as a stamp of his presence in those years. The nickname “Mad Anthony” for which he is remembered, was thought to have been earned by Wayne for his battlefield daring.
With the Paoli Massacre fought on its doorstep, Historic Waynesborough sustained little damage and was expanded over the centuries. This spacious farmhouse features General Wayne’s uniform, Revolutionary War maps and an impressive collection of three centuries of Wayne family furnishings. An introductory video shown in a converted carriage house tells the story of the Battle of Paoli.
Advanced reservations are required for tours and school field trips. Many aspects of the war, daily farm life, furnishings and silver, architecture and 18th century children’s life are explained. In addition, facilities are available for business conferences in the carriage house or weddings or other social functions on the grounds. Call for information, hours and fees.