Germantown White House to open for one day to commemorate battle

Germantown White House. Credit: Wiki Commons

For one day, Independence National Historic Park will open the Germantown White House to the public in commemoration of the anniversary of the Battle of Germantown on Oct. 5.

The historic building, at 5442 Germantown Ave, will open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It has been closed for 2013 due to budget restraints.

During the American Revolution, and more specifically British occupation of the city in the fall of 1777, Lt. General William Howe met the Continental Army and General George Washington in Germantown.

From Oct. 4 through the 5th, the two exchanged significant fire in front of the Germantown White House, where Howe headquartered his robust army.

While Washington served as President of the United States years later, he twice took shelter in the Germantown White House. The Germantown White House was donated to the National Park Service in 1948.