A History of the Tredyffrin Heritage Center at Duportail
1707 Land Acquired
John Havard Sr., an immigrant from Pembrokeshire in Wales, acquires 800 acres in the Great Valley under William Penn's Welsh Tract system. The grant establishes the family's presence in what becomes Tredyffrin Township and sets up seven generations of ownership. A 250-acre portion of the land will be passed to his son, John Havard Jr.
1740 Farmhouse Built
With the 250 acres gifted to him by his father, John Havard Jr. builds the original stone farmhouse that still anchors the property today. It was then a working farmhouse, not a landmark. It would remain within the Havard/Davis family for the next 160 years. From December 1777 to June 1778, the home will host its most consequential guest.
1777-78 General’s Quarters
During the Valley Forge encampment, the House served as the headquarters for French Gen. Louis Lebègue Duportail, Chief Engineer of the Continental Army. It’s here, he designed the fortifications that protected Washington's army throughout that brutal winter and established the US Army Corps of Engineers.
1792 Federal Barn Built
Builders Jonathan and John H. Moor raise a bank barn on the property, inscribing it "The Federal Barn 1792." Today it remains the only known signed bank barn in Pennsylvania and a rare instance of a barn builder claiming credit for the structure itself. The barn sits within 250 feet of the House and, like it, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1903 Property Sold
After 163 years and seven generations of Havard/Davis ownership, the property is sold, ending the longest stretch of single ownership in the House’s history. A 1798 tax assessment shows that the family, then headed by William Davis, owned 229 acres with several outbuildings. Its new owner, hotel manager Lawrence McCormick, will take the property in a very different direction.
1908 Plans Discovered
The House undergoes major renovations. It’s during that work the original hand-drawn map of Gen. Duportail’s plans for Valley Forge are discovered in the attic rafters, left there more than 120 years earlier. The discovery enhances the House’s historic legacy, while original map is donated to the Pennsylvania Historical Society where it remains in its collection today.
1903-1933 Name Changed
The property is named Cressbrook Farm for the watercress its owner grows and serves at his hotel as an early example of farm-to-table agriculture. Cressbrook Farm will change hands several times until 1926, when it is purchased by Henry L. Woolman.
1936 Duportail House Designated
On April 19, 1936, the property is officially designated the Duportail House at a ceremony organized by the US Army and several leading French American organizations. Among the notables on hand is Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing, who commanded US forces in France during World War I.
1939 Property Donated
Henry L. Woolman donates the property to his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, with hopes that it becomes a suburban campus with the Duportail House as its administrative headquarters. The plan stalls; World War II interrupts it, and, in 1948, Penn redirects campus growth plans toward West Philadelphia instead.
1969 Site Acquired
In October, developer Richard J. Fox purchases the property as part of a 865-acre plan to build "the most comprehensively planned residential community in Pennsylvania" with housing for over 9,000 residents along with parks, recreational facilities, retail locations and commercial office space. The plan is met immediately by local opposition.
1978 Development Resolved
The Citizens Organized to Reclaim Chesterbrook gathers over 5,000 signatures and fights the development in county and state courts from 1972 to 1977. Zoning passes on a narrow 3-2 township vote in 1972. Construction begins in 1976. The first home is completed in 1977. The last legal challenges are settled in September 1978, clearing the way for full build-out.
1985 House Preserved
As part of development approvals, the site’s historic buildings and the three acres beneath them are conveyed to a dedicated nonprofit for permanent preservation. For more than 40 years, the House has served as a valued community treasure, hosting weddings, special events, lectures and educational programs.
2026 Tredyffrin Heritage Center Launched
On the February 6, the anniversary of the French American Alliance, a new chapter begins in the House’s storied history. The Tredyffrin Heritage Center at Duportail is launched as a Pennsylvania heritage and educational non-profit committed to commemorating and preserving Tredyffrin Township’s rich cultural and historic heritage.
Historical Timeline
A History of the Tredyffrin Heritage Center at Duportail
John Havard Sr., an immigrant from Pembrokeshire in Wales, acquires 800 acres in the Great Valley under William Penn's Welsh Tract system. The grant establishes the family's presence in what becomes Tredyffrin Township and sets up seven generations of ownership. A 250-acre portion of the land will be passed to his son, John Havard Jr.
With the 250 acres gifted to him by his father, John Havard Jr. builds the original stone farmhouse that still anchors the property today. It was then a working farmhouse, not a landmark. It would remain within the Havard/Davis family for the next 160 years. From December 1777 to June 1778, the home will host its most consequential guest.
During the Valley Forge encampment, the House served as the headquarters for French Gen. Louis Lebègue Duportail, Chief Engineer of the Continental Army. It’s here, he designed the fortifications that protected Washington's army throughout that brutal winter and established the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Builders Jonathan and John H. Moor raise a bank barn on the property, inscribing it "The Federal Barn 1792." Today it remains the only known signed bank barn in Pennsylvania and a rare instance of a barn builder claiming credit for the structure itself. The barn sits within 250 feet of the House and, like it, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
After 163 years and seven generations of Havard/Davis ownership, the property is sold, ending the longest stretch of single ownership in the House’s history. A 1798 tax assessment shows that the family, then headed by William Davis, owned 229 acres with several outbuildings. Its new owner, hotel manager Lawrence McCormick, will take the property in a very different direction.
The House undergoes major renovations. It’s during that work the original hand-drawn map of Gen. Duportail’s plans for Valley Forge are discovered in the attic rafters, left there more than 120 years earlier. The discovery enhances the House’s historic legacy, while original map is donated to the Pennsylvania Historical Society where it remains in its collection today.
The property is named Cressbrook Farm for the watercress its owner grows and serves at his hotel as an early example of farm-to-table agriculture. Cressbrook Farm will change hands several times until 1926, when it is purchased by Henry L. Woolman.
On April 19, 1936, the property is officially designated the Duportail House at a ceremony organized by the US Army and several leading French American organizations. Among the notables on hand is Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing, who commanded US forces in France during World War I.
Henry L. Woolman donates the property to his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, with hopes that it becomes a suburban campus with the Duportail House as its administrative headquarters. The plan stalls; World War II interrupts it, and, in 1948, Penn redirects campus growth plans toward West Philadelphia instead.
In October, developer Richard J. Fox purchases the property as part of a 865-acre plan to build "the most comprehensively planned residential community in Pennsylvania" with housing for over 9,000 residents along with parks, recreational facilities, retail locations and commercial office space. The plan is met immediately by local opposition.
The Citizens Organized to Reclaim Chesterbrook gathers over 5,000 signatures and fights the development in county and state courts from 1972 to 1977. Zoning passes on a narrow 3-2 township vote in 1972. Construction begins in 1976. The first home is completed in 1977. The last legal challenges are settled in September 1978, clearing the way for full build-out.
As part of development approvals, the site’s historic buildings and the three acres beneath them are conveyed to a dedicated nonprofit for permanent preservation. For more than 40 years, the House has served as a valued community treasure, hosting weddings, special events, lectures and educational programs.
On the February 6, the anniversary of the French American Alliance, a new chapter begins in the House’s storied history. The Tredyffrin Heritage Center at Duportail is launched as a Pennsylvania heritage and educational non-profit committed to commemorating and preserving Tredyffrin Township’s rich cultural and historic heritage.