Historic Waynesborough

Historic Waynesborough The ancestral home of Revolutionary War hero "Mad" Anthony Wayne, located in Paoli, Pennsylvania. Tours are also available by appointment, year-round.

On sixteen acres in historic Chester County, Historic Waynesborough includes General Anthony Wayne's manor home and a 19th-century carriage house, now refurbished as the Education and Visitors Center. Open for tours and events, the site is owned by Easttown Township and administered by the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks. Historic Waynesborough welcomes visitors weekly, Thursday to Sunday from 1 - 3 pm. Please call to reserve your tour at (610) 647-1779.

As mentioned in a recently shared post, there are numerous places, sites, streets, towns and celebrities named for our G...
01/26/2025

As mentioned in a recently shared post, there are numerous places, sites, streets, towns and celebrities named for our General Anthony Wayne. Here's another about 26 miles northwest of Historic Waynesborough.

The General Wayne Hotel in Honeybrook, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

There has been a tavern at this location since the mid-1700s. Throughout the 18th century it was the Bull’s Head. The name changed to the General Wayne circa 1800. The current building was built in 1866, enlarged in 1883 with the addition of a 4th floor (the Mansard roof).

With the exception of a brief closure for renovations in the early 1980s (when purchased by Lewis Frame) and another multi-year closure in the 1990s, the site has been in continuous use as a public house since the mid-1700s.

The address on the circa-1805 letter reads as follows: “Mr. William Hanna living in Brandywine Honey Brook Township Chester County Near the Sign of the General Wain [sic].”

Credit: Mike Emery, Cornwall Iron Furnace

Mary (Polly) Penrose Wayne was recently recognized by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution w...
01/24/2025

Mary (Polly) Penrose Wayne was recently recognized by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution with its “Women in American History” award, presented by the Jeptha Abbott Chapter of the NSDAR.

Born in Philadelphia in 1746, Mary “Polly” Penrose, age 17, married Anthony Wayne, then 21. They lived at “Waynesborough,” the Wayne family Easttown Township, Chester County farm and tannery. In 1776, Anthony Wayne was Colonel of the 4th Pennsylvania Battalion. Soon promoted to Brigadier General, he was in command of troops during the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign, leaving Polly, and children Margretta, 6, and Isaac, 4 at “Waynesborough.”

Suddenly, Polly is raising children, keeping house, and overseeing the estate. Yes, she had help on the estate, but she was in charge. On the night of September 20, 1777, the British made a sneak attack, using bayonets only and massacred 53 patriots under General Wayne’s command. It is known as the Paoli Massacre, just three miles from Waynesborough.

Imagine the shock when British soldiers showed up at Waynesborough looking for Anthony Wayne. And imagine how grateful Polly was when the British, not finding him there, left without harming people or property.

As with all the women left at home or those who were camp followers, they were all “Women in American History,” each one worthy of recognition.

Mary “Polly” Wayne died in 1793, three years before Anthony. Both are buried at St. David’s Cemetery not far from “Waynesborough.”

We must recognize the Mary Penrose Wayne DAR chapter in Indiana, chartered in 1901, for carrying on her name and legacy.

We salute Mary “Polly” Wayne and thank Jeptha Abbott DAR chapter for making this award happen.

Though we have mentioned some of these Wayne-centric items in the past, we share this from our local Tredyffrin Easttow...
01/19/2025

Though we have mentioned some of these Wayne-centric items in the past, we share this from our local Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society.

Today is General Anthony Wayne's 280th birthday. We celebrate that this hero of two wars, the American Revolution and th...
01/01/2025

Today is General Anthony Wayne's 280th birthday. We celebrate that this hero of two wars, the American Revolution and the Northwest Territory war, was born this day in 1745. Happy Birthday, Anthony Wayne.

Happy New Year, though we cannot ignore having terror strike in New Orleans when 2025 was just a few hours old. Definite...
01/01/2025

Happy New Year, though we cannot ignore having terror strike in New Orleans when 2025 was just a few hours old. Definitely makes it difficult to celebrate.

On New Year’s Day, 1781: good news and bad news for Anthony Wayne. Anthony Wayne celebrates (possibly) his 36th birthday...
01/01/2025

On New Year’s Day, 1781: good news and bad news for Anthony Wayne. Anthony Wayne celebrates (possibly) his 36th birthday and his Pennsylvania Line decides to mutiny.

On January 1, 1781, 1,500 soldiers from the Pennsylvania Line — all 11 regiments under General Anthony Wayne’s command —insist their three-year enlistments are expired, kill three officers in a drunken rage and abandon the Continental Army’s winter camp at Morristown, New Jersey.

British General Henry Clinton sent emissaries from New York to meet the mutineers and offer them full pardon and the pay owed them by the Continental Army in exchange for joining the Redcoats. Instead, the men turned south towards Princeton, which they captured on January 3, intending to march on Philadelphia and Congress. From Princeton, the mutineers dispatched envoys to meet with General Wayne, who was following behind them. They aired their grievances and handed over Clinton’s men for eventual ex*****on.

With this show of devotion to the Patriot cause, the mutineers strengthened their position in negotiations with Congress. General Wayne and Congressional President Joseph Reed met with the mutineers to hear their grievances on January 7. They came to an agreement three days later. Half the men accepted discharges, while the other half took furloughs coupled with bonuses for reenlistment. Those who reenlisted formed the Pennsylvania Battalion, which went on to participate in the southern campaign.These excellent terms prompted 200 New Jersey men stationed at Pompton to follow suit with their own mutiny. This time, the response was quite different.

General George Washington used New England soldiers to disarm their New Jersey compatriots and executed two of the leading mutineers.These actions kept the Patriot army from disintegrating, but it still faced severe challenges. Early 1781 saw more Americans fighting for the British than fighting for Washington. Credit: History.com

To our followers who celebrate Kwanzaa, have many happy days of celebration.
12/26/2024

To our followers who celebrate Kwanzaa, have many happy days of celebration.

Happy Chrismukkah. Yes, Christmas and the first day of Hanukkah are both on December 25th this year. Whatever and howeve...
12/23/2024

Happy Chrismukkah. Yes, Christmas and the first day of Hanukkah are both on December 25th this year. Whatever and however you celebrate, we wish you the best of everything from Historic Waynesborough.

Two days ago in 1796, December 15th, Major General Anthony Wayne died at Presque Isle, PA. He was commander of the Unit...
12/17/2024

Two days ago in 1796, December 15th, Major General Anthony Wayne died at Presque Isle, PA. He was commander of the United States army, known as the Legion of the United States. He died at just 51 years of age.

He suffered from gout brought on by years of abusing his body with rigorous military service and high living in peacetime. Over time, his body deteriorated under the strain. America’s Revolutionary War hero, Wayne was called out of retirement by President George Washington in 1792 to lead this new army to defend the Northwest Territory during westward expansion. When the General was taken ill in November of 1796 with another bout of gout he was in Fort Presque Isle (now Erie, Pennsylvania).

In December now extremely ill, he was carefully moved into the blockhouse there. A doctor was sent from Detroit and upon seeing General Wayne declared him “too far gone for medical assistance.” At 10 minutes past two o’clock on the morning of December 15, 1796 General Anthony Wayne was relieved of his agony. He was buried in a plain oak coffin at the foot of the flagstaff of the blockhouse, where he remained for 13 years until his remains were disinterred and he was re-buried at Old St. David’s churchyard, resting place of many other family members.

A monument erected by the Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania, marks his grave in St. Davids, Radnor Township, PA, just a few miles from his beloved “Waynesborough.”

Why do we mention this two days later? We can surmise it took two days with messengers on horseback or by carriage to get the sad news to his children Isaac and Margretta and the entire Wayne family.

The Historic Waynesborough Open House and Candlelight tour is Sunday, December 15, 2024 from 3:00-5:00 pm. Tour the Wayn...
12/06/2024

The Historic Waynesborough Open House and Candlelight tour is Sunday, December 15, 2024 from 3:00-5:00 pm. Tour the Wayne mansion, learn about holiday customs, create a festive craft, and enjoy beverages and cookies after the tour.

All tours begin in the Carriage House, 2049 Waynesborough Road, Paoli, PA 19301.

Admission:
$10 for adults
$5 for children
$25 for families and groups of four
Tickets available at the door or online at philalandmarks.org.

Happy Thanksgiving to our faithful followers.May your day be full of hugs, laughter and new memories to cherish.
11/27/2024

Happy Thanksgiving to our faithful followers.

May your day be full of hugs, laughter and new memories to cherish.

Historic Waynesborough salutes every veteran every day, not just today.
11/11/2024

Historic Waynesborough salutes every veteran every day, not just today.

Today in 1781 the British surrendered to our patriots at Yorktown, Virginia. Leading up to the surrender was the lengthy...
10/19/2024

Today in 1781 the British surrendered to our patriots at Yorktown, Virginia. Leading up to the surrender was the lengthy Siege at Yorktown. General Anthony Wayne and his Pennsylvanians had been in Virginia since early July, under the command of the Marquis de Lafayette. Their combined efforts at Green Springs Farm was a near disaster, but in the months to come, Wayne secured positions to help confine Cornwallis at Yorktown awaiting the combined forces of George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau with 5,000 troops.

By October 9th, Cornwallis and his army were pinned down near Yorktown. The French fleet of 24 ships, under Admiral Francois De Grasse, arrived with a sufficient number to drive off the British ships attempting to evacuate Cornwallis. On October 9, the shelling began with one hundred field guns firing away 24 hours per day.Wayne’s Pennsylvanians dug trenches, advancing toward Cornwallis’ line of defense, but did little else during the siege.

Wayne had been wounded at Williamsburg by a sentry who did not recognize him as an American officer, which put Wayne out of commission for a while. The siege continued under the leadership of a combined Franco-American army, commanded by Washington and Rochambeau, until October 19th, the day that Cornwallis surrendered.

Although Anthony Wayne’s wound was still painful, he was able to sit astride a horse to take part in the formal surrender. He is depicted in the John Trumbull painting with the American officers on the right side of the painting. Wayne is the officer on a white horse with a cockade on his tri-corn hat festooned with, possibly, ostrich feathers dyed red. This painting depicts the forces of British Major General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738-1805) (who was not himself present at the surrender), surrendering to French and American forces after the Siege of Yorktown (September 28 – October 19, 1781) during the American Revolutionary War.

The United States government commissioned Trumbull (himself a veteran of the Revolution) to paint patriotic paintings, including this piece, for them in 1817, paying for the piece in 1820. In 1780, with his funds depleted, Trumbull turned to art as a profession. He traveled to London, where upon introduction from Benjamin Franklin, Trumbull studied under Pennsylvanian Benjamin West. At West's suggestion, Trumbull painted small pictures of the War of Independence and miniature portraits. He painted about 250 in his lifetime.

Remember what our patriots fought for - a free and democratic republic for the people. Remember their triumph by voting on November 5th.

The Battle of Germantown. October 4th, 247 years ago today, Washington’s Continental forces were a poorly trained, poorl...
10/04/2024

The Battle of Germantown. October 4th, 247 years ago today, Washington’s Continental forces were a poorly trained, poorly fed and poorly clothed army. In spite of that, Washington thought them ready to fight and planned to send four columns into battle with bits of white paper tucked into their hats to help them identify each other in the darkness of early morning. Washington’s elaborate plan went awry, however, when two columns got lost in heavy morning fog.
By 10 am on the 5th of October, the battle was over.

Although the Americans were forced into a retreat, both sides suffered heavy losses—152 dead, 521 wounded and 400 captured for the Patriots and 71 dead, 450 wounded and 14 missing for the British—and the battle demonstrated Washington’s strategic abilities. Washington’s army retreated north to what is now Whitemarsh for more fighting until marching into the winter encampment in Valley Forge on December 19th.

To our followers who celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Happy New Year.
10/02/2024

To our followers who celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Happy New Year.

After the rained-out Battle of the Clouds, General George Washington left Anthony Wayne with these orders on September 1...
09/20/2024

After the rained-out Battle of the Clouds, General George Washington left Anthony Wayne with these orders on September 17, 1777:

"As I have receiv'd information that the enemy have turned down the road from the White Horse which leads to Swedes Ford on Schuylkill I have desired you that you will halt your troops wherever this meets you. I must call your utmost exertion in fitting yourselves in the best manner you can for following harassing...(the enemy’s rear), General Maxwell will have a similar order and will assist you with the corps under his command."

Washington then sent another message, which never reached Anthony Wayne, saying that Maxwell's orders were canceled and a request by Washington for Wayne to apprise him of his position and plans. In the interim Wayne wrote back to Washington a message asking for clarification of his orders. Washington wrote back again somewhat testily, "having wrote you twice already, to move forward upon the enemy I have but little to add. General Maxwell and Potter are ordered to do the same. I could wish you and those general to act in conjunction, to make your advance more formidable, but would not have too much time delayed on this account."

The British were successfully stealing most of the messages between Wayne and Washington. Because of this they would know Wayne's position and intentions in advance.

What resulted from this missing message, and Anthony Wayne staying put, was the loss of 53 patriots during a sneak nighttime bayonet attack by Lord Grey’s troops. It came to be known as the “Paoli Massacre.” It is today the Paoli Battlefield in Malvern, Pennsylvania; just a few miles from Anthony Wayne’s ancestral Easttown Township home in Paoli.

We take time every September 20th to remember the 53 patriot lives lost on this day 247 years ago.

Following the Battle of Brandywine, or when bad weather can make for a good outcome. The Battle of the Clouds never happ...
09/16/2024

Following the Battle of Brandywine, or when bad weather can make for a good outcome. The Battle of the Clouds never happened because both sides had ammunition that wouldn't fire.

September 11 marks a day of loss in our country. One known only from history books, when George Washington, Anthony Wayn...
09/11/2024

September 11 marks a day of loss in our country. One known only from history books, when George Washington, Anthony Wayne and several other Revolutionary generals lost the crucial Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania in 1777. They were outmaneuvered by British General Howe and had to retreat, eventually to Valley Forge several miles away, where they spent the devastating winter of 1777/1778.

Another September 11 day of loss most of us do remember all too vividly. On "9/11" in 2001 our nation was attacked in New York City and at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. The final plane, destination unknown, ended its flight when heroic Americans brought down their own plane in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Never forget the patriots who fought for our freedom, the thousands who perished on 9/11/2001, and the military men and women who serve to protect us and our freedom today and everyday.

Address

2049 Waynesborough Road
Paoli, PA
19301

Opening Hours

Thursday 1pm - 3pm
Friday 1pm - 3pm
Saturday 1pm - 3pm
Sunday 1pm - 3pm

Telephone

+16106471779

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