The Washington Memorial Chapel – built as a tribute to General George Washington and the Continental soldiers who survived the brutal winter encampment at Valley Forge in 1778-1779 – is now fighting its own battle.
The chapel in Valley Forge Park, a place of worship and an iconic tribute to America’s patriots, is in need of immediate restoration and preservation, according to a press release from the Washington Memorial Heritage, an independent nonprofit that oversees the chapel.
Leaders of the Washington Memorial Chapel have launched a campaign to raise funds to restore the Gothic Revival building to its original glory. After an assessment in 2015, it was determined that the cost of repairs would total nearly $4.5 million. Under the leadership of Jason Griggs, the campaign chair, $500,000 was raised in an initial quiet phase among close friends of the chapel and the Washington Memorial Heritage.
The public phase, kicked off during an event earlier this month, will expand the campaign’s efforts to a wider circle.
“The Washington Memorial Chapel is a special place,” said Griggs in the release. “What most people don’t know is that the chapel is not a part of the Valley Forge National Park, despite being surrounded by it, and therefore does not receive any financial assistance for preservation. Losing this treasure would be like closing the Smithsonian and the Washington Monument simultaneously.”
Once an initial $1 million is secured to address the emergency repairs of the chapel, the campaign will transition to a wider campaign that will continue to raise funds for its preservation. This longer-term strategy will include approaching foundations that have a passion for preserving historic buildings, especially ones that are related to U.S. history and its founding leaders, the release said.
“The campaign will grow to encompass local, national, and international supporters, taking into account the close ties between the United States and France during the American Revolution and the chapel’s continuing memory of France’s support,” Griggs said in the release.
The inspiration for the Washington Memorial Chapel came from a sermon preached by the founder and first rector, the Rev. Dr. W. Herbert Burk, of Norristown. In June 1903, the cornerstone was laid on private property donated by the I. Heston Todd family. A small frame building preceded the present structure, which became known as the Theodore Roosevelt Chapel, in honor of President Roosevelt, who visited the site in 1904. The chapel was completed in 1917. It is the home of an active parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.
For more information about the Washington Memorial Chapel, visit http://wmchapel.org/heritage/ and http://www.savewashingtonmemorial.org/ to learn about the campaign.
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