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National Historic Trails (Non-Units) - Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail
Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia)
10/16/2010 First stop, Hanover County Courthouse (NHL), where Patrick Henry practiced law, and went over to
the 1700s Tavern across the street. As we got there people were just showing up for an outside wedding on a beautiful afternoon,
but we got our photo-op before things got going. These places were also on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route [VA](they
stayed overnight in the courthouse).
The Route sign
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Hanover County Courthouse
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The Tavern
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6/2/2012 The sights we saw on our hour and a half stroll were: ... Nassau Hall - This is the oldest building
at Princeton University; built in 1754, it was possessed by both British and American forces during the Revolution. and while
Princeton was the capital of the early United States of America, Nassau Hall hosted the entire American government. ... Morven -
In 1701, Richard Stockton purchased the land from William Penn and built the house, which served as New Jersey's first Governor’s
Mansion from 1954 until 1981. ... On the way back from the last stop we noted a sign that indicated we were on the Washington-Rochambeau
Revolutionary Route [NJ; Nassau Hall and Morven being two sites on it].
Nassau Hall
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Morven
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A Route sign
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2/20/2013 From there we headed more towards the center of Trenton along the river stopping at a public promenade
along the river. There was lots of interpretive signage here on a number of subjects including the one we were interested in – a ferry
crossing noted for French General Rochambeau during the Revolution and making it part of the Washington-Rochambeau NHT in NJ.
Some Interpretive signage ...
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With Ken pointing out the Route info
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A look up the river
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10/25/2013 Joseph Webb House – The Georgian-style house that was the site of a military conference with
General George Washington and the French commander Rochambeau during the Revolutionary War [Washington-Rochambeau NHT, CT].
Joseph Webb House
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12/28/2013 Van Cortlandt House NHL - The 1748 Georgian-style home of Frederick Van Cortlandt, used during
the Revolutionary War by Rochambeau, Lafayette, and Washington and the oldest building in The Bronx. We walked around the house,
taking note of the brick “enframements” that surrounded the opening of the otherwise stone house. This site is on the
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route NHT [NY], an added bonus for us!
The House sign
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A view from the side ...
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... and main entrance
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Some historical information
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Peaking through the window
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A nice 3-quarter view
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3/14/2014 From there a half block up to the University for ... Nassau Hall – This is the oldest building at Princeton
University; built in 1754, it was possessed by both British and American forces during the Revolution and while Princeton was the capital
of the early United States of America, Nassau Hall hosted the entire American government. ... We moved the car a short way west and parked
in the very nice university residential area right in front of a Wilson home, then took an enjoyable loop hike to ... Morven – In 1701,
Richard Stockton purchased the land from William Penn and built the house, which served as New Jersey's first Governor’s Mansion from 1954
until 1981. Both Morven and Nassau Hall are on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R)[NHT in NJ]. ... we headed over the Delaware into
Phili, where we hit two W3R [PA] sites. The first was just a sign on the site of the Red Lion Inn which was used by officers as headquarters
when the French and American armies Rochambeau and Washington encamped along the nearby Poquessing Creek. The second was at a cool stone
bridge built around1697 at a Lenape Indian trail crossing. It is the oldest roadway bridge in continuous use in the nation, on the King's
Highway, and served American and French combined forces on the march to Yorktown.
The gate to Princeton ...
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... and Nassau Hall
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The Morven sign ...
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... and the mansion
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W3R banner
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Me taking a photo of ...
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... the Red Lion Inn site sign
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W3R banner by the bridge
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Another photo by me ...
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... of another sign
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The cool old bridge
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Icicles hanging over the river
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3/15/2014 Moving on to Chester we found another W3R site, or at least a sign in front of some run-down housing.
This was another encampment site along the King’s Highway.
Me taking a photo ...
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... of the sign
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6/20/2014 ... continued east to a school in Bolton where we took a short hike on the Washington-Rochambeau Route NHT in CT],
although I couldn’t find the signage I was looking for. We drove to the other side of the trail we were on, in a residential neighborhood
at the end of Bailey Road, but still no signage. Oh well – maybe I was wrong about the signs. Still, Bailey Road used to continue through
to the Bolton school area, and was part of the W3R.
Looking east from the school
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The end of Bailey road
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9/20/2014 Star-Spangled Banner NHT In Wilmington we stopped at a park with a millstone and plaque for Richardson
Mill (now gone) on the W3R [NHT in DE]. French soldiers (Hussars of Lauzun's Legion) camped here near the mill and creek.
A stone from Richardson Mill
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Some historical info
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9/21/2014 Drove a little way for another W3R [NHT in DE] site, the Robinson House. The house was constructed about 1723 and in colonial times was a major rest stop on
the main route between Philadelphia and Wilmington; many key figures of the Revolution stopped for food or stayed overnight here, including George Washington.
Continuing into downtown we hit the last W3R site at the Opera House, which had some nice informative signage. In 1782 the Wilmington Academy stood here and
housed many of the 550 troops in Lauzun's Legion.
The sign for ...
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Robinson House
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A closer look
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Wilmington Opera House
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Front detail
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Informative signage ...
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... about the W3R!
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10/13/2014 ... we drove a short way for a quick stop at a monument on the harbor for Rochambeau on the
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R)[NHT in RI], effectively the start. We also had nice views of the harbor with some
sailboats still out as the sun set.
We're going that-a-way
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Me and Jean
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Informative signage ...
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... and a simple memorial
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Another view
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7/3/2015 Heading southwest from here we first went to Scotland for the Samuel Huntington Birthplace NHL. This was the birthplace and boyhood home of the
statesman who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Declaration of Independence, and as Governor of Connecticut. Although this
was just a photo-op, there was some good signage for the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route [NHT in CT], which the house is on. A little further west we took a
stretch of the W3R along Scotland Road which is notably unchanged from when Rochambeau passed through. After multiple u-turns we also located a little sign
about the route. A bit more west brought us to Lebanon. ... We then moved the car a short way to the John
Trumbull Birthplace, the 1735 home of Governor Jonathan Trumbull and the birthplace of artist John Trumbull. This is also on the W3R.
Samuel Huntington Birthplace NHL
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W3R info ...
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... and the emblem
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A W3R road sign
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John Trumbull Birthplace NHL
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W3R info here
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10/20/2016 Washington-Rochambeau NHT [MD] Right at where the Basilica is now, Rochambeau’s troops camped here in 1782 in “Howard’s Woods”.
Me taking a photo of ...
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... the W3R marker
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10/2/2017 Brick Market NHL Built in 1762 in the colonial Georgian style, as a traditional British style market house,
the building's first level was an open-air arcade that served as a marketplace for various goods. It is also on the Washington-Rochambeau NHT [RI].
The Brick Market
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Historical info ...
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... including NHT
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5/28/2022 On the way I spotted a sign and info for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (NHT in VA). Apparently, Mt. Vernon is on the W3R - who knew?
From Wikipedia “Washington and a small group of aides rode ahead and reached his estate at Mount Vernon on September 9, after a six-year absence; Rochambeau and his staff
arrived the following day”.
The little signage area
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Detailed sign ...
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... with Mount Vernon area
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State sign
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10/16/2022 Rochambeau Statue. The statue of the American Revolutionary War hero, General Comte de Rochambeau,
in Lafayette Park, erected in 1902, stands as the reaffirmation of Franco-American relations in the first years of the twentieth century.
It is on the W3R NHT, and within the Presidents Park (White House) NPS Unit.
Rochambeau from afar ...
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... and closer up
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Most of his name
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View from another angle
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10/13/2024 W3R NHT - French Army Campsite. I originally just had a write-up describing the rough location of the camp,
but then found a little historical signage describing the crossing of Rock Creek by Rochambeau and Lafayette. The sign was on an old city fire
call box, one of many that it turns out we saw on our walk.
The fire call box ...
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... with W3R info
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I point out ...
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... the Rochambeau reference
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