One Heart & One Mind

Thanks to all who participated in our $4.5 million Campaign for the Restoration of the Washington Memorial Chapel from 2015-2017. In that campaign, we reached approximately l/2 of our goal from the generosity of the congregation and friends. Your contributions enabled our success to restore and preserve the chapel exterior and remediate some priority masonry issues on the interior. We have also restored 10 of the 13 exquisite stained-glass windows with another being slated for completion in the coming months.  During that time, we also received designation as a Historic District.

After the pandemic and calling Fr. Thompson to be our new Rector, we put together a comprehensive Master Plan to include the many aspects of the Chapel campus which are interconnected such as the Chapel interior, Porch of the Allies, Patriots Hall, Cloister of the Colonies, the Bishop White Library and Courtyard, our historic churchyard (cemetery), and the National Patriot’s Bell Tower.

That Master Plan was the impetus for our One Heart & One Mind capital campaign which is currently underway.  The three pillars of our campaign are Preservation, Education, and Growth. For this campaign, our goal is 5.5 million dollars.  Thus far we have raised an estimated total of 1.4 million (raised mostly from inside our congregation).  We are now shifting our focus to outside organizations and individuals. 

If you are inspired by this wayside chapel which serves as a memorial to George Washington and the patriots who trained and sacrificed during the winter encampment at Valley Forge and would like to take this journey with us to preserve the Chapel and its history, donations by check can be made to: Washington Memorial Heritage, P.O. Box 466, Valley Forge, PA 19481. If you prefer e-payments, simply click the link above and select “One Heart & One Mind.” We are also happy to sit down with you to share more information about what our One Heart & One Mind campaign seeks to accomplish. 

Donations can be made either through the Chapel or through our Washington Memorial Heritage, which is a secular nonprofit 501c3 PA Corporation founded in 2005. The mission of the Heritage is to restore and preserve the Chapel, educate the public about its art and architecture and share the legacy of General George Washington and the Continental Army. 

As we continue journeying towards our goal, we find strength in these words: Let us never tire of doing good, for if we do not slacken our efforts we shall in due time reap our harvest. Galatians 6:9 (REV).
 
With Gratitude for your Continued Support,
 
Fr. Tommy A. Thompson, Rector, Washington Memorial Chapel
Mr. Mark R. Thompson, Executive Director, Washington Memorial Heritage