Graves of Unknown Soldiers - Valley Forge, PA
N 40° 05.336 W 075° 26.711
18T E 462048 N 4437722
There are two roughly marked Revolutionary War gravestones off a walking path, in the woods. The cemetery is marked with the appropriate war medallions. The headstones are now nothing more than rough stones stuck in the ground.
Waymark Code: WMB58W
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 04/06/2011
Views: 19
A nearby monument on the right or east side of South Outer Line Drive if traveling north, marks this area for the Unknown Soldiers buried at Valley Forge. This small cemetery has only two marked graves and seems to be abandoned and definitely in an out of the way place as the rest of the world has grown around this area. There is no cemetery sign nor is their an official name for this graveyard. The graves are located at the northwest corner of Wayne's Woods. The graves are 221 feet to the west of the 
Unknown Soldiers Monument (420), just at the edge of the wood line. There is a fence on the outer border. There is also a virtual cache which represents this burial ground called 
Forgotten Monument?. Parking is available east back at the Wayne Equestrian monument, located at N 40° 5.218 W 75° 26.666. It is about a ten minute walk. I actually parked on the side of the road. I visited this monument on March 19, 2011 @ 3:03 PM, EDT, & @ an altitude of 205 feet ASL.
"In 1901, the National Society of the Daughters of the Revolution of 1776 raised a shaft near the lonely headstone which had by then been identified with John Waterman. Still popularly called the Waterman Monument, this was really dedicated to all the soldiers "who sleep in Valley Forge." The Valley Forge chapter of the DAR erected a second monument to the dead in 1911 below the hill surmounted by Wayne's Woods." SOURCE
The monument which represents this burial ground was erected in 1911 by the Valley Forge Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. The bronze marker reads:
IN MEMORY OF
UNKNOWN SOLDIERS
BURIED AT VALLEY FORGE
1777 1778
ERECTED BY
VALLEY FORGE CHAPTER
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The Graves of Unknown Soldiers meets criterion A for its association with American Revolution and Criterion B for its association with George Washington and the impact of the encampment on his military career. PA SHPO concurrence 9/16/2004 to 2000 CLI that resource contributes to the national significance of Valley Forge NHP. The burial ground is inventoried as structure no. 421.
From the Nomination Form:
3 fieldstones & pair of small bronze plaques marking grave or graves of Continental Soldier(s). Plaques erected by Valley Forge Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Listed as contributing in CLI, with SHPO concurrence on 09/16/2004.
Short Physical Description:
2 small stones 12" & 9" high, spaced 96" apart, additional small stone between the 2, 3" high. Markers stands besides 2 stones, 6" circle w/ carved bas relief, supported on bronze pegs, 1 is 18" h other is 10".
Long Physical Description:
N/A
My Source
1.
NRHP Nomination Form