George Washington's Headquarters

Isaac Potts house was used by General George Washington and his household during the 1777-1778 encampment of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. At the time of the encampment, the house was being rented by a relative of Isaac Potts, Deborah Hewes. She, in turn, rented the house and furniture to Washington.

Located on the ground floor, this room was used as an office for 6 to ten of Washington's military aides. At 2:00 P.M. every day, the tables were pushed together and the room was used as a dining area. In the evening, all furniture was pushed aside to make room for sleeping.

Upstairs, the second room on the left was likely used as a bedroom for the aides-de-camp. The room has only two beds, but many more would have been sharing this space. In the daytime, this room would also have been used as office space.

The first room on the left was used by General and Mrs. Washington as their bedroom. Here Washington would join Martha in the morning for breakfast, a rare opportunity for private time together. During the day, Mrs. Washington would use it as a sitting room to entertain guests.

Washington's military family at Valley Forge included aides-de-camp, like John Laurens and Alexander Hamilton, as well as both salaried and enslaved servants like Elizabeth Thompson and Hannah Till. Everyone lived and worked together in this house. Adaptability was key.