New Event Space, Education Center + Café Planned For Washington Memorial Chapel

by Melissa Jacobs

Washington Memorial Chapel, the National Historic Landmark adjacent to Valley Forge National Historic Park, is getting a multi-year, multi-million dollar glow up. Included in the plans: new banquet facilities, classrooms, an upscale café and retail space.

Built in stages between 1903 and 1928, Washington Memorial Chapel’s campus resides on almost 50 acres that are home to the chapel, bell tower, Cabin Shop, Porch Of The Allies, Cloister Of The Colonies, Defender’s Gate and cemetery.

The renovations, designed by Kara White, president of The Range Designer, combine architectural restoration and new construction with  stunning interior design to create a campus filled with historic beauty.

Construction just began on the first phase: the renovation of Patriot’s Hall, which connects to the chapel’s main worship area. Scheduled for completion by January 2026, Patriot’s Hall will be transformed into a ballroom filled with historic glamour.

The room’s Gothic windows are in good shape and will stay in place, as will the stone walls and bookcases, White explained. The bookcases – original wood fronted by leaded glass – will also remain. Not only are they in excellent condition, but they are an example of the beautiful pieces in the chapel and elsewhere.

“The craftsmanship throughout the campus is impeccable,” White said. “It is Old World craftsmanship that you don’t see anymore. European artisans came here and did the majority of this work by hand. It’s that historic provenance that we want to preserve.”

Discreet lighting and sconces will be added to Patriot’s Hall, as will tapestried window treatments. The existing floor is not original and will be replaced with period-appropriate oak flooring. “It will have an Oxford-Cambridge library feel,” White said, adding that when the room is finished, it will be a place for groups to gather or a place for individuals seeking quiet reflection and reverence.

In fact, those are goals for the entire campus. “The renovation of Patriots’ Hall heralds the beginning of a reigniting of the original vision for this campus,” said Patricia Nogar, a longtime congregant of Washington Memorial Chapel.

Nogar is also the incoming executive director of Washington Memorial Heritage, a nonprofit and registered 501c3 that was founded in 2005. While the chapel is home to an active Episcopalian congregation, Washington Memorial Heritage leads secular efforts to preserve the history of the campus and everything on it. At the moment, Washington Memorial Heritage is in the midst of a $5 million dollar capital campaign to renovate existing structures and create new buildings.

“With the renovation of Patriots’ Hall and our other spaces, our community gains prime venues for celebrations, meetings and other gatherings that matter,” Nogar explained. “It also gives us the ability to better tell the stories of what makes our nation special and to help educate people of all ages and walks of life for generations to come. We are honored to be the caretakers of this important legacy.”

Up next: Construction of the education center and the restoration and expansion of the Cabin Shop’s café and retail area. There isn’t a firm timeline for that work to commence, Nogar said, because they are ambitious undertakings, both financially and engineering-wise.

White explained that the various buildings were erected in a patchwork manner over many years. “What’s been improved to and added to the campus was done piece by piece,” she said. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with until we get into some of these walls.”  

But White emphasized that Washington Memorial Chapel and its campus are already stunningly breathtaking, inspirational and beautifully historical. And when it is finished, Noagar said, the campus will be architecturally cohesive and offer new ways to fulfill the vision of its founder, Father W. Herbert Berk, to honor God and country, the community and the nation.

To support Washington Memorial Heritage’s historical renovations, visit wmheritage.org or email executivedirector@wmheritage.org.

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