Cultural Landscapes - Valley Forge National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) The encampment landscape retains integrity of landform, topography, views, and aspect, including Mounts Joy and Misery and the Grand Parade; natural systems and features, including the Schuylkill River, Valley Creek, and numerous springs; and circulation elements, such as Valley Forge Road (PA Route 23), Gulph Road, Baptist Road trace, Yellow Springs Road trace, and the river. More difficult to see but still present is physical evidence of the pre-encampment settlement patterns, including field boundaries, portions of some farm clusters, and remnants of the once-thriving iron forge industry. Much evidence remains of the military adaptations made to support the encampment and fortify the position, including portions of the inner and outer line defenses, the known sites of earthen forts and road systems, and various buildings and structures that were used for officers’ quarters, storage, or livestock. These are more than sufficient to convey the story of the encampment and its meaning. These landscape elements, combined with the archeological resources, historic structures, and museum objects and archives of the park, provide a complete physical record of this pivotal encampment. Archeological resources already have yielded, and will continue to yield, new and important information about this aspect of the site’s history. Soon after a 217-acre portion of the current site became Pennsylvania’s first state park in 1893, formal interventions in the landscape were made to accommodate visitors seeking to enjoy the park. Picnic areas were built at Washington’s Headquarters and later at other locations. As the park gained in popularity, the commonwealth continued to acquire lands and to enhance visitor access and opportunities for enjoyment. Tree-lined drives were built for use by carriages and later paved and widened for automobiles. Bridle and pedestrian paths, boating facilities, and an observation tower were constructed. Many of these early features, including campgrounds, the observation tower, boating facilities on the formerly impounded Schuylkill River and Valley Creek, and additional picnic areas, shelters, and restrooms were removed over the years. The integrity of the recreational landscape is diminished, particularly integrity of materials, workmanship, and design. The recreational features are closely tied and interwoven with the park’s commemorative features and history. Recreation at the site is a product of a particular approach to commemoration and would not exist without the site’s commemorative history.
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