This area of Chester County supplied the fight for freedom with iron products, food, medicines, and textiles. Washington's army at Valley Forge would not have survived the winter of 1777-1778 without support from the surrounding countryside. Unfortunately, the area also supplied freedom with the sacrifice of soldiers and the looting of civilian property during the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777. The Supplying Freedom Tour begins at Historic Yellow Springs where Washington set up headquarters after the Battle of the Clouds and the first military hospital in the United States was built. It continues to explore this theme with visits to the Paoli Battlefield and three mills which provided gun powder, flour and cloth.

Recreation Opportunities

Valley Forge National Historic Site encompasses 3,500 acres. Programs, tours, and activities are available year round. The park also provides 26 miles of hiking and biking trails, which are connected to a robust regional trails system. Wildlife watching, fishing, and boating on the nearby Schuylkill River also are popular. Pine Creek Park features a 1/3 mile dirt track, trails and a fishing pond with a playground and soccer goals. Horseshoe Trail Road is a road section of the Horse-Shoe Trail, a 140-mile hiking and equestrian trail that runs from Valley Forge to the Appalachian Trail in southeastern Pennsylvania

Heritage Stops to Shop and Eat

Heritage stops include Ludwig's Corner, an important commercial area on the main route between Philadelphia and Lancaster. The tour also includes the beautiful Kimberton Historic District, which includes 62 buildings and 18th and 19th century roadways that helped to make the village a local transportation and commercial center. Sheeder-Hall and Rapps Dam bridges are two of Chester County's oldest surviving covered bridges

Supplying Freedom Tour

Suggested Start: Historic Yellow Springs

Allow: 4 hours to tour; 1 day to explore

Heritage & Recreation: The Woolen Mill of Charlestown, Mill at Anselma, Continental Powder Works and?Rapps Dam Covered Bridge, Historic Sugartown, Historic Yellow Springs, Birchrunville, Sheeder-Hall Covered Bridge, and French Creek Trail

Historic Villages to Shop & Eat: Ludwigs Corner, Kimberton Village and Paoli Battlefield Historic Park