Historic Waynesborough

Presented by Historic Waynesborough and the Valley Forge Park AllianceExplore why William Penn founded the city between two rivers and the ecological and geological forces that define the region, and hear how the Lenape, the region’s first people were themselves active forces in shaping the landscape.Learn what flora and fauna Anthony Wayne, George Washington, and Ben Franklin saw during their time and what has changed today.

Lecture by Ellen Endslow from Chester County History CenterAlliances and negotiations in the 1600s formed relationships between the indigenous Lenape and the Europeans who colonized what is now eastern Pennsylvania. Join us on May 8, 2025 at 7 PM in the Historic Waynesborough Carriage House for a presentation by Ellen Endslow that examines how the mutual respect for self-determination, shared land use, and freedom shifted as colonial leadership changed and settlers increased in the early 1700s. The presentation also looks at some of the decisions leading to the removal of indigenous people from Pennsylvania in order to share some insights

Willistown Conservation Trust will talk about supporting birds in your neighborhoodMany cavity-nesting birds, like bluebirds, have become reliant on manmade bird boxes to provide them with the safe spaces they need to raise their young. Willistown Conservation Trust will speak at Historic Waynesborough about The Bluebird Project on Sunday, April 13th from 2:00 - 3:30 PM. With unprecedented habitat loss and insect declines, birds need all the help they can get. Fortunately, our yards hold the keys to restoring some of this lost habitat while restoring our shared ecosystems. Learn all about how to support bluebirds and other native songbirds by maintaining bird boxes,

The Battle of the Wabash On November 3, 1791, the army of the new American republic congregated along the Wabash River in Ohio to prepare an attack on Native American strongholds. By the end of the next day, the army would suffer what was to be the worst defeat in U.S. history by Indigenous people. Sometimes called The Battle with No Name, this bloody event would trigger the first-ever Congressional investigation and halt U.S. westward expansion for the next four years. Join author Rick M. Schoenfield at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at Historic Waynesborough to find out more about

The Historic Waynesborough Open House and Candlelight tour is on December 15, 2024 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Tour Anthony Wayne’s House and learn about holiday customs, create a festive craft, and enjoy beverages and cookies after the tour. All tours begin in the Carriage House located at 2049 Waynesborough Road, Paoli, PA 19301. Admission is $10 for adults $5 for children $25 for families and groups of four Tickets available at the door or online.

Gary Ecelbarger speaks at Historic Waynesborough for a new and fascinating look at the Battle of the CloudsThe Battle of the CloudsJoin historian and author Gary Ecelbarger at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, for a new and fascinating look at the Revolutionary War battle that nobody won and which hardly happened at all.This tale of wet gunpowder, muddy roads, and missed chances still fascinates military scholars and history buffs alike. What really happened the day the Continental Army and the British redcoats stared each other down from two opposing hillsides outside of Paoli?Ecelbarger has written 10 books and dozens of

Ever heard of the Ticking Tombstone? How about the Gray Devil? Charles Adams will talk about those bits of local lore and other fascinating legends at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at Historic Waynesborough in Paoli. Adams has been tracking strange happenings all around Pennsylvania and the Jersey Shore for decades, and has written more than a dozen books on the subject. His talk will focus on the ghostly sightings, haunted houses and other oddities of the Philadelphia region, including Chester, Montgomery and Delaware Counties. Adams is the editor of The Historical Review of Berks County. He has served as

John Morton: A Founding Father and Chester County's Best Kept Secret Come get acquainted with John Morton, the Founding Father from Chester County you’ve probably never heard of, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at Historic Waynesborough in Paoli. Historian John E. Smith III will discuss the legacy of this prominent Pennsylvanian with Finnish roots who died a mere nine months after signing his name to the Declaration of Independence and whose Ridley Township estate was then ruthlessly plundered by the British Army. And he’ll reveal how and why this important figure passed into obscurity. John Smith has a master’s

A holiday event at Historic Waynesborough for the whole family!Join the family fun at the Holiday Candlelight Tour and Open House, 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at Historic Waynesborough in Paoli. The historic mansion has been beautifully decorated for the season by local garden clubs. Take a tour, craft festive ornaments for the holiday tree, and enjoy refreshments, music, and more. Tree lighting at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults$5 for children$25 for families and groups of fourTickets available at the door or online.

In Their Own Words: Letters from the Valley Forge Encampment Continental Army soldiers wrote lots of letters during the long winter in Valley Forge in 1777-78. Many of those letters survive, and they tell a valuable story about love, hardship and perseverance during a time of war. Come hear scholar and author Nancy Loane talk about that and more at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 26, at Historic Waynesborough in Paoli. A former ranger at Valley Forge National Historical Park and the author of Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment, Loane will highlight some of the fascinating and

Ever wonder what life was like in Colonial America? What it was like to write with a quill or how sheep’s wool was spun to make clothing? And how in the world did children amuse themselves long before the invention of Nintendo? You’ll learn all that and more at the Colonial Farm and Craft Day 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at Historic Waynesborough in Paoli. Volunteers from Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation in Newtown Square will demonstrate a range of crafts and farming techniques right out of the 18th Century, including flax processing, spinning and carding wool, quill writing,