Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust Presents: 'Duportail: A Founder Forgotten' - July 26th

Join the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust on Brigadier-General Duportail at his headquarters during the Valley Forge encampment of 1777-78, the historic "Duportail House" (c.1740) in Chesterbrook.

Within a year of his joining the Continental Army in November 1777, General Louis Le Begue Duportail, a French military engineer, had become a trusted aide and advisor to the commanding general. As Washington's chief engineer, General Duportail had responsibility for fortifications and defenses throughout the American colonies. He additionally served as a critical liaison between Washington and his French counterparts during the Yorktown campaign. His greatest legacy, however, is the establishment of the US Army Corps of Engineers and subsequently the US Military Academy at West Point. Despite his outstanding service to the Ameri-can cause, General Duportail today is little remembered compared to similar foreign officers who served in the Continental Army.

James McKinley resides in Tredyffrin Township and has served on the Board of the Duportail House in Chesterbrook since 2016. Before moving to Tredyffrin in 1997, Jim lived in Mt. Kisco, NY, where he was a founding member of the Mt. Kisco Historical Society.

"Duportail: A Founder Forgotten" featuring guest lecturer James McKinley, will be held on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at the Duportail House (297 Adams Drive, Chesterbrook, PA). The lecture will begin at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20. For more information & to purchase tickets, click here.