David Havard House

Historical significance

The homes of David Havard and two of his brothers were used as lodging and headquarters by officers serving under George Washington, during the encampment of Washington's army at Valley Forge from December 1777 through June 1778.

Upon the arrival of the Continental Army at Valley Forge, the David Havard House served as quarters for Colonel William Bradford and Colonel Elias Boudinot, who were brothers-in-law. Bradford's older brother Thomas, a captain, arrived in January 1778, and their father, Colonel William Bradford Sr., joined them in April 1778.

General Charles Lee, who had been held prisoner by the British in New York, first arrived in Valley Forge in April 1778, after Boudinot negotiated an exchange of prisoners. He took up residence in the David Havard House on May 21, 1778, and shortly afterward, the Bradfords moved elsewhere.

Chesterbrook Farm

Several generations of the Havard family occupied the house until it was purchased in 1881 by Alexander Cassatt, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who turned the surrounding farmland into a 600-acre hunting preserve called Chesterbrook Farm, known for its racing stables.

The house, which still stands on Bradford Road in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, remains in use as the clubhouse for the Picket Post Swim and Tennis Club.

References

References

1. {{NRISref
2. Pennsylvania Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks. (January 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Harvard, David, House". National Archives and Records Administration.
3. Pusey, Nancy. (Summer 2004). "Three Pre-Revolutionary War Houses with a Family Connection: The Tenure of the Havard Family in Tredyffrin Valley". Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society.
4. Pinkowski, Edward. (1953). "Washington's Officers Slept Here: Historic Homes of Valley Forge and Its Neighborhood". Sunshine Press.