The cornerstone for the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge was laid June 1903, in tribute to General George Washington and the soldiers of Valley Forge. It was designed by Milton B. Medary, Jr., and home to an active parish as well as a "wayside chapel" for those who visit the Valley Forge National Park. The chapel is not part of the National Park Service, however, and receives no funding or other services from the NPS. It is maintained as a 501(c)(3) organization for purposes of preservation of the building.
Rand and I stopped after leaving Valley Forge and took a brief tour, visited the used bookstore where I bought two books for a couple of dollars, and stepped inside the cabin shop for a drink and snack.
The first bell tower had 28 bells, starting with 14, and adding 14 more in the late 1920s and 1930s. A new bell tower was begun in 1941, but suspended due to World War II. Construction was resumed in 1950 and completed in 1953, and 30 bells added above the lower 28 bells. The bells weigh 26 tons, ranging from 13 1/2 pounds to 8,000 pounds. The bells are played from a keyboard and pedals connected to the bells' clappers--58 keys and 24 pedals.
The Justice Bell is a full-sized replica of the Liberty Bell that traveled Pennsylvania between 1915 and 1920 in support of the women's suffrage movement.
Finally, check out this short video about the gargoyles on the church--It is a fun listen. Grimm and Eldwyn will enjoy your visit.
Source notes: All information about the chapel is taken from the Washington Memorial Chapel website at http://wmchapel.org/.
I loved the dry sense of humor of the priest in the video! A woman doing some research on the travels of the Justice Bell across Pennsylvania contacted me about using the photo in her presentation. I will have to say that while I was not initially all that keen on going to Valley Forge, it was really interesting.
2 comments:
I've never been to Valley Forge. Will have to go sometime! Enjoyed the video!
I loved the dry sense of humor of the priest in the video! A woman doing some research on the travels of the Justice Bell across Pennsylvania contacted me about using the photo in her presentation. I will have to say that while I was not initially all that keen on going to Valley Forge, it was really interesting.
Post a Comment