About Us
The Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge was organized as a Bicentennial Project on March 25, 1976, by Mr. Donald G. Cronan of New York. Charter members were the first 79 members who joined. The organizational meeting was held in the Guild Room at the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge, PA, October 23, 1976.
The Society was organized “for the purposes of attracting the interest and support of the descendants of George Washington’s Army at Valley Forge” for educational and charitable purposes “within the meaning of Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.” (See Article II, Bylaws.) Various scholarships and awards are presented by the National and state organizations, known as Brigades.
Members prove their “descent in a direct blood line from an officer or enlisted man of proven honorable service in a Continental Line or other military unit headquartered at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, under the command of General George Washington at any time within the calendar dates of the historic winter encampment of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge, viz., December 19, 1777, through June 19, 1778.” (See Article III, Bylaws.)
Through the years, various projects have been completed, recognizing the ancestors of the members. Some of those projects are: placement of a tree in the Memorial Grove in the Valley Forge National Historic Park; naming of a bench for the Society in Washington Square, Philadelphia; and placement of a marker near the Patriots Bell Tower at Washington Memorial Chapel.
The marker reads: “In Honor of All Loyal Patriots who Served under the Command of General George Washington In the Winter Encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, December 19,1777 - June 19, 1778, and in Honor of Donald G. Cronan, Founder of the Society, Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge.”
The Society has an annual Encampment, sometime between Dec. 19 and June 19, usually in the Valley Forge area. The date and location are announced several months in advance and information is provided in issues of the quarterly newsletter, “The Encampment”, which is sent to all members of the Society.