History of Duportail

The original section of the Duportail House was built in 1740 by John Harvard, Jr., a Welsh farmer, on a tract of land given to him by his father. The house was used as quarters by General Louis Lebeque DuPortail, chief engineer of the Continental Army during the encampment at Valley Forge in 1777-78.  Havard, his wife Miriam, and their only daughter, Mary, lived in the house during Duportail’s stay.

General Duportail was recruited in France by Benjamin Franklin to serve as General George Washington’s field engineer.  The original map on which Duportail planned the fortifications at Valley Forge was found in the attic of the rafters nearly a century and a half later. This map served as the basis for Valley Forge National Historical Park as it is today and is now in the collections of the Pennsylvania Historical Society.

The house and its land of more than 170 acres remained in the Havard and Davis family until the early 1900’s. The front room and porch were additions made to the farmhouse in the early 1800’s.  In April of 1903, the property was purchased by Lawrence McCormick who was the General Manager of the Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia.  The property became known as Cressbrook Farm at this time because watercress grown in the streams on the property was used in the kitchens of the Bellevue Stratford.  It was during renovations of the house for Mr. McCormick that Duportail’s original map was found.

In 1926 the property was acquired by Henry L. Woolman, a University of Pennsylvania alumnus who subsequently gave it to the University.  The University had planned to build a suburban campus for some of its undergraduate students, but these plans were eventually abandoned.  The house was designated a historic site and placed on the National Historic Register in 1972.

In 1974, the Fox Companies purchased the land from the University.  This property and land from two adjacent farms became the 865-acre planned community of Chesterbrook.  Tredyffrin Township insisted that the Fox Companies preserve this historic home for future generations.

Restoration work on this historic house was completed in 1984.  A non-profit corporation was subsequently created to manage the use and maintenance of the Duportail House.

History of the Federal Barn

The Federal Barn which sits overlooking the Duportail House is reputed to be the oldest signed bank barn in Pennsylvania.  It was placed on the National Register in 1979.  The original part of the barn was constructed in 1792 and remains standing today.  At that time, the property was occupied by John Havard Jr.’s daughter, Mary, and her husband, William Davis.  The date stone on the western gable of the barn’s façade bears their initials, “WMD 1792”.

Stabilization work on the original part of the barn was completed in 1983 with funds from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and with matching funds from the Chester County, Tredyffrin Township, the Fox Companies, and private donors.  An 1800’s addition to the original barn fell into disrepair and was not included in the stabilization work.  A fire in 1985 subsequently destroyed the barn addition.  Its foundation remained. 

In 2009, working in collaboration with the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, a separate non-profit 501.c.3 corporation, Duportail House, Inc. agreed to become the site of the reconstruction of another historic barn.  Using a portion of the Federal Barn addition, the new Jones Log Barn foundation of was completed in 2010 by combining stones from that foundation with stones from the original Jones Log Barn.

Together, Duportail House, its nearby caretaker’s cottage, the Federal Barn, and the Jones Log Barn create an enclave of historic structures which becomes a true center for history in this community.  Within walking distance to Valley Forge National Historical Park, this land and these buildings have many stories to tell and serve as a reminder of this area’s agricultural heritage.

Today's Preservation Plans

The upkeep of old buildings requires the use of many resources and the support of the community.  An updated Capital Improvement Plan is being created which will address the current need of new roofs for the Duportail House, the Federal Barn, and the caretaker’s cottage.  Reinforcing the foundation of the Federal Barn is another project requiring attention.

Funds raised by making the house available for social functions like weddings, corporate picnics, and private parties helps to defray some of the property’s maintenance costs.  Those funds also make it possible to open Duportail House for lectures on various topics relating to history and historical architecture. 

Duportail House is open to the public free of charge, Sunday afternoons, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

Tax deductible donations to support the property's capital improvements are always welcome and sincerely appreciated.

 


View of Duportail from Arbor.
Source: Photograph, The U of Pennsylvania 
The Pennsylvania Gazette Vol 35, Number 18.
Web: www.archives.upenn.edu/primdocs/uplan/gazettejul11937.pdf