So far this year, the Museum of the American Revolution's replica of George Washington's field tent has gone up on St. Simons Island, at Tryon Palace in North Carolina, on the lawn at Mount Vernon, in Chicago, in Charleston and in Newport. On Sunday, November 8, it goes up at Historic Waynesborough, 2049 Waynesborough Road in Paoli. That is Anthony Wayne's family home, and Easttown Township owns it.
The daytime program is free. It also lands the weekend before Waynesborough's Friday-through-Sunday tour season ends on November 14. So for anyone in Berwyn, Paoli, Devon or Strafford who keeps meaning to see the inside of the house, November 8 is the easiest chance of the year.
A tent that usually travels much farther than Waynesborough Road
The tent at the Museum of the American Revolution in Old City is the original Washington used during the Revolutionary War. The one coming to Easttown is a hand-stitched reproduction, made in 2013 with Colonial Williamsburg through the museum's First Oval Office Project. According to the museum, the replica goes up at historic sites every year, along with camp equipment and costumed interpreters.
The museum's 2026 list of past stops shows how far it usually goes:
| Date in 2026 | Host site | Location |
|---|---|---|
| March 13–15 | Coastal Georgia Historical Society | St. Simons Island, Ga. |
| March 26–28 | Tryon Palace | New Bern, N.C. |
| May 2–3 | George Washington's Mount Vernon | Mount Vernon, Va. |
| June 6 | Society of Colonial Wars in Illinois and the Newberry Library | Chicago, Ill. |
| July 11 | Eisenhower Park | Newport, R.I. |
| September 12–13 | Allegany County Historical Society | Cumberland, Md. |
| October 3 | Revolutionary Germantown Festival | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| November 8 | Historic Waynesborough | Paoli, Pa. |
Most of those trips were long drives from Philadelphia. This one ends a few minutes from the Paoli train station, at the house of the general who served under the man who slept in the original tent.
How the Sunday runs
The Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, known as PhilaLandmarks, is hosting the day as its organization-wide celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary. Here is the order of events, pieced together from the PhilaLandmarks page and Easttown Township's September 30 announcement:
- Late morning, tent raising. Visitors can help put up the tent and hear how Washington led the Continental Army from under its canvas. Easttown Township and the museum both list 11 a.m. PhilaLandmarks lists setup from 9 to 11 a.m.
- 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., music. The Band of the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard plays an American musical tribute.
- 2 to 2:45 p.m., Tribute to Veterans. The same band returns for a set honoring veterans. Veterans Day is the following Wednesday.
- 2:45 p.m., bagpipes. PhilaLandmarks lists an open-air skirl by the Bagpipe Band of St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia.
- 3 p.m., a toast to General Washington and General Wayne. PhilaLandmarks adds a presentation of colors by the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution and the First Troop City Cavalry.
- 3:30 p.m., reception. This is a ticketed fundraiser for PhilaLandmarks with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite.
The museum lists its own tent program as running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For a free visit, plan to arrive between late morning and early afternoon. That window covers the tent, both band sets and house tours, which are part of the daytime program. The listings don't agree on the start time, so if you hope to help raise the tent, check with PhilaLandmarks first.
Why the tent belongs at this particular house
The Wayne family owned the property from 1724 to 1965, and Isaac Wayne began building the Georgian manor house. Anthony Wayne inherited it in 1774. He became a major general, served with Washington during the Revolution, and fought in the Philadelphia campaign, including the Battle of Paoli. The Paoli Battlefield Preservation Fund puts Waynesborough 3.6 miles from Paoli Battlefield Historical Park.
Wayne's burial also ties him to the Main Line. After he died, his son brought his remains back in 1809 to the family plot at St. David's Church in Radnor, according to PhilaLandmarks' history of the house. So in one afternoon you can see where he lived, drive past where his troops were attacked, and finish at the churchyard where he is buried.
Ownership is the other part of the story. Easttown Township became the owner in 1980, and PhilaLandmarks has managed and preserved the house since then. The house the museum chose for this year's tent visit is public property in Easttown.
The week after the tent comes down
The timing matters because of the calendar. PhilaLandmarks' visiting page lists Friday-through-Sunday tours from 10 a.m. to noon only from August 28 to November 14. After that, the regular option is Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., with tours on the hour, which runs through December. January and February are by appointment only.
That leaves a short list of open weekend dates after the muster:
- Friday, November 13, 10 a.m. to noon
- Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. to noon, the last weekend slot of the season
Admission on a regular tour day is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and $25 for a family. It is free for PhilaLandmarks members and children under 6, and groups of ten or more pay $8 per person. Waynesborough also hosts weddings. PhilaLandmarks asks weekend visitors to call ahead at 610-647-1779, because on wedding days it moves tours to the morning. Hours and dates can change, so check with PhilaLandmarks before a weekend visit.
Making a Main Line Sunday of it
If you want something on Lancaster Avenue after the band's last set, Berwyn has a new seasonal stop. Jingle & Co. is an eight-vendor holiday pop-up at 812 Lancaster Ave. It opened October 15 and runs through January 15. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. SAVVY Main Line reported that the shop carries apparel, gifts, home décor, vintage, jewelry and embroidery, and offers instructor-led mahjong. Founder Maria Delany told the outlet that a holiday pop-up was a more practical way to return to local retail than a permanent store. PHL17 confirmed the shop was open by mid-October, at the same address and hours.
Sunday hours there end at 2 p.m., so if you plan to stay at Waynesborough for the 2 p.m. Tribute to Veterans, Jingle & Co. works better as a morning stop or a weekday visit later in the season.
Living near a house like Waynesborough is one of the reasons I love working in Tredyffrin and Easttown, and I'm always glad to talk about the history of the Paoli and Berwyn area with neighbors who share that interest. If you'd like to hear more about the historic properties and local landmarks around T/E, Larisa Bevan would be happy to talk. Schedule a consultation whenever it suits you.
