By Saktisri Gowrishankar, Staff Reporter

Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program gave the Valley Forge Park Alliance a $500,000 grant  in October to administer new changes to the Maurice Stephens House in Valley Forge National Park. 

Maurice Stephens, a farmer in the 1800s, built the house on the edge of a meadow in the Grand Parade Trail around the year 1816 and now it is an important fixture in the scenic trail system. George Washington and his Continental Army trained on these grounds during the 1777 winter encampment at Valley Forge. 

The Valley Forge Park Alliance is an organization in philanthropic partnership with Valley Forge National Park that focuses on citizen stewardship of and inspiring appreciation for this historical landmark. 

“We are eager for the completion of the Maurice Stephens House, where we will have outdoor seating, meeting spaces and rentable space for small parties,” said Amy Johnson, the Board Chair of the Park Alliance. “Our reach as citizen stewards of this great park will extend even further.” 

The alliance leased the house from National Park Services and is partnering with it on this project. It will be setting up new headquarters for the group on the second floor and converting the first floor into a café operated by Aneu Catering of Paoli. Other additions will be the rehabilitation of the area around the Maurice Stephens House, including new walkways and an upgraded parking lot. 

“It (the project) is really a good thing for the park service itself because the vacant building is being restored. It’s a great thing for the Valley Forge Park Alliance because it’s going to enable us to be a bigger, stronger organization,” said Molly Duffy, the Executive Director of the Park Alliance. “It’s a great thing for anybody who comes to the park because it’s going to be this beautiful community gathering space.”

Rehabilitation of the house began in January and it will be finished and open for public use by the fall. Valley Forge Park continues to hold historical and emotional significance for many members of the community.

“When I was a child, (my family) spent a lot of time in this park,” said George Meng, a frequent visitor to Valley Forge Park. “My father and I hiked all around the park and all the areas around. So, everytime I come here, I think of my father.” 

Saktisri Gowrishankar can be reached at [email protected]