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July 2020
Curator Tour: The Thompson-Neely House
Step back in time with a free guided tour of the historic Thompson-Neely House on Sunday, July 12 at 1:30 PM. Park curator Kimberly McCarty will lead a guided tour of the house, which served as a temporary Continental Army hospital during Washington’s winter campaign of 1776/1777 in Bucks County. Ill and injured soldiers were brought to this home of the Thompson and Neely families for medical treatment and recovery. A young officer from Virginia named James Monroe, who was seriously injured during the First Battle of Trenton, convalesced at this site. In 1817, he became the fifth president of…
Find out more »Wine on the Waterfront
Wine on the Waterfront returns to the banks of the Delaware River in Washington Crossing Historic Park (PA) on Saturday, July 25 from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. The event will feature gourmet food, live jazz music, and one-ounce tastes of dozens of wines from a number of Pennsylvania wineries, including: Bishop Estate Vineyard and Winery Boyd's Cardinal Hollow Winery Crossing Vineyards & Winery Chaddsford Winery Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery Rebel Hive Meadery More coming soon! Gourmet food and wine (bottles and cases) will be available for purchase. You're welcome to relax along the riverbank—just bring your own blankets or…
Find out more »August 2020
Curator Tour: McConkey’s Ferry Inn
Peek into the Revolutionary War era on a free guided tour of McConkey's Ferry Inn in the Historic Village on Sunday, August 30 at 1:30 PM. Park curator Kimberly McCarty will lead a guided tour of the building. From McConkey’s Ferry on December 25, 1776, hours before the crossing, Washington wrote to Colonel Cadwalader: “I am determined as the night is favorable to cross the River...” The first ferry building was built in 1752, but only the basement kitchen remains. The current inn was built in several stages; the west side, the one farthest from the river, was built around 1790…
Find out more »September 2020
Lecture on “They Were Good Soldiers: African-Americans Serving in the Continental Army”
Bucks County historian John U. Rees will visit Washington Crossing Historic Park (PA) on Sunday, September 13 at 2 PM to present a free lecture on his book: 'They Were Good Soldiers': African-Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783. Rees will discuss the experiences of free and enslaved soldiers of color during America’s war for independence. Use of the veterans’ pension narratives allows them to tell their stories and provides insights into their lives before, during and after the Revolutionary War. A Bucks County resident, Mr. Rees has researched and written about the day-to-day life and experiences of the average…
Find out more »October 2020
Lecture: Ferries and Taverns During the Revolution
Washington Crossing Historic Park curator Kimberly McCarty will give a free public lecture discussing the roles of 18th century ferries and taverns on Sunday, October 18 at 1:30 PM. McConkey's Ferry Inn — the building in which Washington wrote of his plan to cross the Delaware River — will be highlighted. Located in town centers and along major transportation routes, ferries and taverns were community hubs where people could eat, rest, and share the latest news about America's struggle for independence. The lecture will be held in the Visitor Center auditorium. Registration is required and opens September 1. Please call…
Find out more »November 2020
Lecture: The Decision to Hire German Troops in the War of American Independence
Dr. Friederike Baer will visit Washington Crossing Historic Park (PA) to give a free public lecture on "The Decision to Hire German Troops in the War of American Independence: Reactions in Britain and North America, 1774-1776." The lecture is set for Sunday, November 8 at 2 PM in the Visitor Center auditorium. Between 1774-1776, German soldiers were hired to defend British interests in America. Baer will discuss British and American public reactions to the plan. In Britain, the reliance on forces from outside the empire provoked strong opposition. Critics claimed it was a sinister plot to deprive Englishmen of their…
Find out more »December 2020
Lecture: Who Was Here in December 1776?
Washington Crossing Historic Park curator Kimberly McCarty will give a free public lecture on Sunday, December 6 at 7 PM on some of the people who contributed to the Ten Crucial Days surrounding the crossing. McCarty will discuss the soldiers and civilians who participated in the days surrounding the crossing that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War. “My intent is to explore the lives, before and after the crossing, of some of the notable figures who participated, as well as others who don’t factor into most narratives of that night,” she says. “It’s important to appreciate how each contribution…
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