In preparation for the park’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the Friends of Washington Crossing Park is thrilled to welcome Kenneth A. Gavin as Senior Consultant for Living History Initiatives. In this role, Ken will help develop and expand educational programs that showcase the park’s rich military history. He will play a vital part in enhancing living history programming and special events at the park including the park’s signature event, the Annual Christmas Crossing Reenactments.
Ken is a seasoned professional with nearly 25 years of experience in the fields of history, public relations, and senior management in the non-profit sector. He has worked part-time at Valley Forge National Historical Park for the past 18 years providing hundreds of tours for thousands of visitors. Those highly acclaimed programs explore the complex military, political, economic, and social elements of that famous winter encampment in the broader context of the revolutionary struggle. He also served as a key consultant and actor for Valley Forge’s recently launched orientation film, Determined to Persevere.
Previously, Ken led tours in Gettysburg and Olde City Philadelphia in conjunction with Teaching American History Grant programs sponsored by the United States Department of Education. He also possesses over two decades of substantial experience with living history programs relative to the American Revolution and American Civil War eras involving hundreds of events of that nature. He has planned, staged, executed, and commanded such events at the local and national level while working with a variety of local, state, and federal agencies. He currently serves as commander of the recreated Spencer’s Additional Regiment of the Continental Line.
A strong believer in historic education and preservation, Ken has served on the boards of several museums, historic sites, and other non-profit entities including the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library, Princeton Battlefield Society, The Continental Line, Colonel Ogden’s 1st New Jersey Regiment, and Spencer’s Additional Continental Regiment.
He is also an independent consultant advising historic sites regarding interpretive programming, site management, public relations, and crisis navigation. Currently, he is being retained as a consultant for public history programming relative to our nation’s Semiquincentennial Celebration by the State of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry.
Ken has also been a preferred model and central figure for the works of noted historical artists Don Troiani and Jeff Trexler. Recently, he has been a frequent guest on the Addressing Gettysburg Podcast and is advising Adams County Historical Society regarding upcoming Semiquincentennial programming.
This position is made possible in part by generous grant support from America250PA and The Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.