It was an ordinary day. Walking around with my dad at the Washington Memorial Chapel in the Valley Forge National Historical Park after singing in the beautiful chapel. At the time I was a twelve year old boy who was lucky enough to be part of Lancaster's St. Jame Episcopal Church's boy's choir.
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St. James' Men and Boy's Choir early 1950s.
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My dad had sung in the choir as a young boy and remem- bered singing at Valley Forge one time. Today was my chance to do the same in this beautiful Episcopal Chapel along Route 23 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. After singing we had a chance to visit the small church store and buy a few trinkets at the store to remember the event. Today I "googled" Washington Memorial Chapel to see what I might remember about my trip to the chapel back in 1956, but the photographs that I found didn't help me much. The only thing I can still remember of my trip was the magnitude of the entire experience and the neat chapel that seemed immense with a roof so high and stained glass windows that stretched to the roof.  |
Choir director Frank McConnell
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The sound of our boy's and men's choir seemed to echo back and forth from wall to wall. Washington Memorial Chapel is both a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal parish. The church was inspired by a sermon preached by Anglican minister Reverend Dr. W. Herbert Burk who was the founder and first rector of the parish. The building was designed my Milton B. Medary and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 2017. It is now undergoing a restoration. Before the current chapel had been built, a previous attempt had been launched in 1885 by Baptist minister James M. Guthrie who had raised funds and began building before running out of funds. Finally, 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.  |
How I remember the Chapel
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A small wood-framed building nearby preceded the present structure. President Theodore Roosevelt made a visit to the site in 1904 and the original wooden building is now named the "Theodore Roosevelt Chapel. It was eventually demolished after completion of the present chapel. The Chapel's exterior was completed in 1917 and its interior in 1921. It served as a wayside chapel to those who visit Valley Forge National Historical Park. The wrought iron gates, hardware and locks were made by craftsman Samuel Yellin and the interior woodwork was supplied by Belgian-American cabinetmaker Edward Meane.  |
What the Chapel looks like today.
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As I sit here, with my fingers flying over the keys (I wish), I am trying to remember seeing all these things I just wrote about that are part of the Chapel where I had the honor to sing, but it was so many, many years ago, and at the time I was in awe of everything around me, that I sort of draw a blank about most everything. I do remember getting off the bus that we rode in to Valley Forge, singing in what at the time seemed to me a small church compared to my home church of St. James Episcopal in Lancaster, buying my souvenir and getting back on the bus. Other than that, the day remains a blur. Neat to view the chapel online and try to visualize standing in the choir stalls in that neat old chapel. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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