Historic Hope Lodge

Hope Lodge is a historical building located in Fort Washington. This mansion is one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture in this part of the country utilized by Continental troops during the 1777 American Revolution’s Philadelphia Campaign. Hope Lodge's original name was "Whitemarsh Estate" and was built between 1743 and 1748 by a Quaker businessman, Samuel Morris. Philadelphia architect Edmund Woolley designed the lodge. During the autumn of 1777 Washington's Continental Army spent six weeks camped at nearby Whitemarsh. Hope Lodge was used as a hospital by George Washington's surgeon general (John Cochran) and as quarters for Major General Nathanael Greene. Hope Lodge was saved from destruction by William and Alice Design who purchased the property in 1922. In 1957 ownership of the lodge transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and it's now listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Mather Mill is also a part of the Hope Lodge property but is not open due to structural problems. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission operated the Hope Lodge historical site, but on November 20, 2009, the area was closed due to state budget limitations. The site plays host to various community events, such as Ambler Symphony concerts, as well as an annual reenactment of the 1777 Whitemarsh Encampment. Tours of the interior of the building are available seasonally (April through October).