George Washington Stayed on the Property of This Adventist Academy Land

Story by Shannon Kelly

You may already be aware that in the 1940s, Pine Forge Academy (PFA) was established as an institution where Black students could attend high school without facing the racial problems plaguing schools in the South, but did you know it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places? 

In the early 1700s, William Penn, founder of the province of Pennsylvania, which later became a state, deeded the land that is now home to PFA and the Allegheny East Conference. 

Included in the smattering of historic structures on the academy’s property is the Manor House, where George Washington, the first president of the U.S., is said to have stayed for a brief period during the Revolutionary War while the Continental Army was encamped at nearby Valley Forge. 

By the time the Underground Railroad was operational, the property had furthered its abolitionist tradition by serving as a terminal, helping enslaved people escape to freedom in the North.

The historic sites on the academy’s property are also designated as official projects of Save America’s Treasures. 

Read more here.

How to Visit?
Contact the assistant to the headmaster Pine Forge Academy Philadelphia to schedule a visit to the campus, then visit the many historic spots in and near Philadelphia.