Washington Memorial Chapel honors 1st president and nation's history, but it's also an active church

A national memorial dedicated to Gen. George Washington attracts thousands of visitors every year. Leaders say it's a place that tells the story of America over the last 250 years.

The Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge is also an active parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.

Father Tommy Thompson, rector at the chapel, said it's been "the soul of Valley Forge" for more than a century.

The national memorial pays homage to our country's beginnings.

"If you do not remember your history, you forget who and whose you are," Thompson said.

Practically every inch inside tells a story.

"This is an American chapel. It's made with American materials: Indiana limestone, Indiana oak, Pennsylvania granite," said Gardiner Pearson, the head docent for the chapel and vice president of Washington Memorial Heritage.

Inside, there are 13 stained glass windows alternating in red or blue color with white limestone walls in between.

"We have one window, which is the window over the altar, which deals with the New Testament, the gospels," Pearson said. "And then from that, the history of the United States is shown in each one of the remaining 12 windows."

If you look to the sky, you'll find the "Roof of the Republic."

"You'll see the wooden ceiling, and you'll see the seals of all 50 states of our union in the order in which either they ratified the Constitution or were admitted into the union," Thompson explained.

Remembrance even comes in those small details, like on the choir stalls.

"If you look up on them, at the tops, you see armed soldiers," Gardiner said. "It's not just the soldiers of Valley Forge that we are commemorating and honoring, but all those who have served to protect and defend our liberties."

The chapel took over a decade to build, from 1903 to 1917. During that time, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the site.

"His hope for the American people would be that we would have the spirit of Valley Forge, which he said is perseverance in the teeth of difficulty," Thompson said. 

The bell tower was completed some years later in 1953 by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Today, it houses dozens of bells, including the Justice Bell.

"It's been a project of a lot of people who gather around this place," said Pat Nogar, executive director of Washington Memorial Heritage.

The memorial extends 50 acres, and also includes the "Cloister of the Colonies" and a cemetery.

"We just have a really interesting array of people who are buried here. It's like a walk through history, really, when you come through here," Nogar said.

Nogar is also a part of the Episcopal congregation here — one that's active and growing.

"It's a touchstone for people. They don't know that we're also a parish, which we don't want them to ignore," Nogar said. "They see us, though, as a symbol."

A symbol honoring the souls of those who came before us, stand beside us and will come after us.