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Pulaski Headquarters in Valley Forge, PA

located at 267 Walker Road, Wayne, Pennsylvania

Pulaski Headquarters (Brookmead Farm) in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania Located outside the periphery of the Valley Forge National Historical Park is the former property of the Beaver family; situated on 267 Walker Road, Wayne, Pennsylvania (Tredyffrin Township). During the Valley Forge Encampment, Winter of 1777-78 Pulaski used this house as his quarters. While staying here, Pulaski drew up plans for organizing an American Cavalry and presented them to General Washington for approval. The house and barn served as Headquarters and training grounds for cavalry troops under his command. Pulaski interrupted his stay at Valley Forge to seek adequate forage in winter quarters near Trenton, NJ, but elements of the 1st Continental Dragoons remained behind. Pulaski returned to the Beaver house after assisting Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne (stationed across the street) on foraging duty in South Jersey. Wayne had crossed the Delaware into New Jersey on or about February 19, 1778. Pulaski's cavalry unit aided Wayne and they succeeded in bringing desperately needed beef cattle back into the Valley Forge camp to feed the starving Continentals. Since then the building has been remodeled into a modern (private) residence but the oldest parts of the house date to 1712. At the time of the Valley Forge Encampment, the owner was either John Beaver, a German immigrant (who may have died just prior to the encampment) or his son, Devault Beaver. The property has been known locally as Brookmead Farm. The Beaver family produced some 95 descendants who lived in the house until 1862. The history of this house, and others that served to shelter officers of the Continental Army, is described in detail in Edward Pinkowski's book Washington's Officers Slept Here: Historic Homes of Valley Forge and Its Neighborhood (Sunshine Press, Philadelphia, PA 1953).

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