Last updated: May 21, 2026
Place
Wayside: The David Potts House
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
Along the unpaved trace road parallel to Valley Creek and adjacent to Route 23.
Designation:
Valley Forge Then and Now wayside exhibit
Amenities
2 listed
Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
This house has been known by many names through the years, each offering a bit of insight and mystery. Built between 1725 and 1740, its original owners are unknown. After the nearby forge across the creek was operational, the building was most likely used as a tenant house for its employees. Some mistakenly thought it was Ironmaster William Dewees’s home, and called it the Ironmaster’s House.
Local lore claims this building served as the bakehouse during the 1777-1778 encampment, referenced in army documents as the “Bake-House near Headquarters” with large ovens in the basement. However, research has found no supporting evidence for the ovens’ existence.
In 1854, Charles Rogers purchased and redesigned the home into a Victorian Italianate mansion. Sarah Shaw purchased it in 1868 and opened the Washington Inn, a hotel and restaurant.
The Washington Inn catered to the growing tourism from Philadelphia. The Inn operated until the 1930s.
Valley Forge State Park bought the building in 1947. They recreated the building’s 1700s appearance by removing any signs of the inn and mansion. The state park used the building as a visitor center until 1976.
The structure once known by many names is today known as the David Potts House. Its name pays homage to the property’s owner during the Valley Forge Encampment.