News and Events

The National Park Service recently awarded the Friends of Washington Crossing Park a $502,768 grant for the rehabilitation of the McConkey Ferry Inn. This was one of only 20 cultural resource preservation projects to be funded nationally. The grant will allow the park to continue renovations to the Inn, above and beyond last year’s $8.7 million capital project which funded renovations throughout the park. Specifically, this new grant will fund complete interior renovations to museum standards and help the park update the Inn’s National Register of Historic Places documentation. Created by Congress in 2020 and funded through the Historic Preservation Read More

The Friends of Washington Crossing Park would like to thank all of our wonderful interns who supported the park this summer! JJ Miller (Shippensburg University), Brandon Fey (Gettysburg College), John Paul Corsilli (Ocean County Community College) and Ryan Thiel (Rowan University) assisted in site research, public living history programs and served as 18th century interpreters for thousands of school children for our Colonial Days Friend Trip Programs. The energy and innovation of all of our interns were a great asset to the park this summer and we are honored for the opportunity to steward the next generation of public historians. JJ Miller is a History Major and rising sophomore Read More

The National Park Service recently awarded $61,995 to the Friends of Washington Crossing Park as part of the Historic Preservation Fund’s African American Civil Rights grant program. This program funds preservation projects and efforts of sites tied to the struggle of African Americans to gain equal rights. The Friends were one of only 37 projects nationally to be funded. The Friends’ grant will support in-depth research by a dedicated research fellow on African Americans who participated in and supported the Continental Army’s crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776. This research will examine the “Ten Crucial Days” campaign, Read More

Washington Crossing Historic Park has seven new, reproduction tavern tables thanks to students in the Fine Woodworking program at the Bucks County Technical High School. The replica tables were delivered in late April and will be used in several of the park’s historic buildings. Scott Ribarchik, Fine Woodworking Instructor at the school, says the Friends of Washington Crossing Park approached him with the proposed project early in the New Year. “The tables we made were based on a replica table the park brought us,” he says. “Close to 50 students in our Fine Woodworking program worked on this project over a Read More

Volunteers are vital to the day-to-day operations of Washington Crossing Historic Park. From special event support to tours, education and reenactments, volunteers help us provide thousands of visitors each year with a truly special experience. Every April, in honor of National Volunteer Month, we recognize several individuals and organizations who have helped us deliver upon our mission over the past year. Please join us in celebrating our 2023 honorees: Volunteer of the Year – Mary Jane Beck Mary Jane Beck is an integral part of the park’s volunteer program, and her contributions are many. Throughout 2019, she ran the Toys Read More

  Colin Zimmerman recently started a new job as a Military Historian for the Friends of Washington Crossing Park, but he’s a familiar face around the park.   “I worked here from 2016 to 2018 as an historical interpreter, and I’m thrilled to be back in this newly created role,” Zimmerman says. “History started out as an interest for me, then turned into a hobby, and eventually became a passion. To me, history is the most fascinating thing in the world and this park is a national treasure.”       Zimmerman is currently in the final year of completing his doctoral degree Read More

  Fans of the park have been closely following the progress of the $8.7 million Capital Project to preserve 17 historic buildings and structures throughout the park. The year-and-a-half-long undertaking is now 99% complete and in mid-December the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the PA Department of General Services held a ribbon cutting to celebrate. The rehabilitation included the refurbishment of historically accurate roofs and new windows, plastering and painting exteriors, and internal plumbing and electrical work. The project also included renovating and reopening restrooms near the Washington Pavilion and Thompson-Neely House and repaving the road to Read More

Washington Crossing Historic Park’s 2022 Challenge Coin is now available in the gift shop or in our online store. This year’s coin features Colonel John Cadwalader, a senior officer of the Philadelphia Association – a volunteer militia founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1747. Each year through 2026, the park will release a new challenge coin to commemorate the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of Washington’s crossing. Each coin features an important figure from the crossing on one side and a rendition of the famous Leutze painting on the other. Each year features a different person. Cost is $17.76 + shipping. Read More