Whitemarsh Township is offering residents a guided bus tour of the township's historic sites on Thursday, September 17, and registration is open.
The township announced the tour on its official social media account Sunday, stating that registration is available. The township first flagged the date with a "Save the Date" post on Saturday, July 11, giving neighbors more than two weeks' notice before the registration window opened.
The tour is part of Whitemarsh's yearlong America 250 celebration, a series of community events marking the nation's 250th anniversary. The township kicked off that series at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church on Sunday, April 12, and followed it with a Saturday, July 4 parade co-hosted with the Lions Club of Whitemarsh that drew crowds to Miles Park.
Historical context
The township sits on ground where the American Revolution played out in real time. In December 1777, British forces under Gen. Sir William Howe marched out of Philadelphia in a failed attempt to destroy George Washington's Continental Army, which was encamped across the township's fields.
Hope Lodge, at 553 South Bethlehem Pike in Fort Washington, served as headquarters for Washington's Surgeon General John Cochran during the six-week Whitemarsh Encampment that followed the Battle of Germantown.
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, founded in 1698, bore the scars directly. British soldiers fortified the building with cannons, lodged horses inside and used cemetery headstones for target practice.
How to register
Residents can find the registration link through the Whitemarsh Township social media account (@Whitemarshtwp on X) or contact the township directly at 610-825-3535. Township offices are at 616 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444. Information on cost, capacity, departure point, and specific tour stops was not available at press time.
Upcoming community dates
- Thursday, September 17 — History Bus Tour of Whitemarsh (registration open)
