LOCAL HISTORY The Hanging Rock and South Gulph Road
The Hanging Rock, also known as the Overhanging Rock or sometimes Drummond's head is a well-known local landmark. It was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Gulph Road was originally established as a narrow dirt public road around 1712. General George Washington and the Contiental Army passed beneath this rock in 1777 on the way to Valley Forge and camped in the area for six days in December 1777 before moving on to Valley Forge for the winter encampment. Over the years since the advent of vehicular traffic the profile of the rock has been reduced by either erosion, traffic, or human efforts. In 1917, the State Highway Department made plans to remove it. Local residents led by District Attorney J. Aubrey Anderson, led a successful protest to save the Hanging Rock. Another attempt was made in 1924 to remove the rock and again there was public outcry. The strip of land surrounding the Hanging Rock was then purchased by Lidie Anderson (J. Aubrey's wife) and donated to the Valley Forge Historical Society. This society later became the Valley Forge Alliance, which owns that parcel today. Around that time, there was even a staircase which led people to a park at the top of the rock. In 1954 the state made plans to shave back the rock and possibly destroy it. Holes were drilled for the placement of dynamite to blow it up, but again public protest and lack of funding stopped the project. As many of us are aware, the section of South Gulph Road that passes the Hanging Rock between Arden Road and Upper Gulph Road has been closed to traffic. The plan is to build a cantilever over the Gulph Creek to protect the rock and raise the road above the 100 year flood zone. The $8.2 million state funded project began in January 2021 and was originally scheduled to wrap up by the Fall of 2021. New estimates say late Spring 2022. Learn more or join the King of Prussia Historical Society by visiting their site at kophistory.org. The KoP Historical Society is a wholly member supported organization.
Preserving Upper Merion’s Past To Enlighten Its Future PO Box 60716 King of Prussia, PA 19406-0716 www.kophistory.org Facebook.com/kophistory
6
THE KING OF PRUSSIA NEWS
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS · TO ADVERTISE CALL 610-265-6277
