Washington Memorial Chapel
| Washington Memorial Chapel | |
| Church | |
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Montgomery |
| Location | PA Route 23 (Port Kennedy Road) Valley Forge, PA 19481 |
| - coordinates | 40°06′16.3″N 75°26′16.6″W / 40.104528°N 75.437944°WCoordinates: 40°06′16.3″N 75°26′16.6″W / 40.104528°N 75.437944°W |
| Area | 7.8 acres (3.2 ha) |
| Style Founder Architect Builder Cornerstone laid Construction start Exterior completed Interior completed |
Gothic Revival Rev. W. Herbert Burk Milton B. Medary Horace H. Burrell 1903 1912 1917 1921 |
| Owner | Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania |
 Location within Pennsylvania
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Website: wmchapel |
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Washington Memorial Chapel — located on Pennsylvania Route 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park — is both a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal parish in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The church was inspired by a sermon preached by Anglican minister|Reverend Dr. W. Herbert Burk, founder and first rector of the parish. The building was designed by architect Milton B. Medary. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 2017.
Reverend Burk was rector of an Episcopal church in nearby Norristown. The money for the chapel was raised in small increments (nickels and dimes), and its stone walls were built a "few feet at a time." In the religious and patriotic zeal of the day, Dr. Burk was active in trying to preserve Valley Forge, and in the establishment of the Valley Forge Museum of American History (the predecessor to the Valley Forge Historical Society).
A previous attempt to build a memorial church at Valley Forge had been launched in 1885 by Baptist minister James M. Guthrie, who raised funds and began building before running out of funds.
On June 19, 1903, the 125th anniversary of the evacuation of the Continental Army from Valley Forge, the cornerstone was laid on property donated by the I. Heston Todd family. A small wood-framed building nearby preceded the present structure. Following President Theodore Roosevelt's visit to the site and address in 1904, the original wooden building was named the "Theodore Roosevelt Chapel." It was demolished after completion of the present chapel.
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