Village of La Mott
Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Originally called Camptown, this village was laid out at the close of the Civil War on the site of former Camp William Penn. The camp was a training station for Negro troops enlisted in the U.S. Army from 1863 to 1865.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Laid out at the close of the Civil War, the village originally called Camptown rose on the grounds of Camp William Penn. From 1863 to 1865 the camp trained African American soldiers—among the largest such training stations in the North—preparing thousands of United States Colored Troops for service in the Union Army. The community that grew here carried forward the legacy of those who fought for freedom and their own citizenship.
Why it matters
Camp William Penn was a cornerstone in the arming of Black soldiers, whose service transformed the Civil War into a fight for emancipation and equal citizenship.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- National Constitution Center7.7 mi away · 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- African American Museum in Philadelphia7.7 mi away · 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Betsy Ross House7.7 mi away · 239 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Illadelph Glass Gallery7.8 mi away · 68 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Muse Gallery7.8 mi away · 52 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Visitor Center7.8 mi away · 599 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
Attractions
- Harbison's Dairy Milk Bottle5.7 mi away
- Discovery Center at East Park Reservoir6.3 mi away
- Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge6.7 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo7.0 mi away
- Philly Gun Range7.1 mi away · North Percy Street
- Rocky Steps7.2 mi away
Food & drink
- Independence Mall Cafe7.8 mi away · 50 North Independence Mall East, Philadelphia
- Dunkin'7.9 mi away · 634 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Bubble Tea Room7.9 mi away · 319 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- 3J's Cafe7.9 mi away · 317 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters7.9 mi away
- Burger King7.9 mi away
Places to stay
- Days Inn Philadelphia Convention Center - Philadelphia7.5 mi away · 1227 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia City Center7.5 mi away · 1201 Race Street, Philadelphia
- Clarion Suites Philadelphia7.6 mi away · 1010 Race Street, Philadelphia
- Sleep Inn Center City7.6 mi away · 1020 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Philadelphia - Convention Center, PA7.7 mi away · 1200 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Holiday Inn Express Philadelphia E - Penns Landing7.7 mi away · 100 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia
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Related events
- · Camp William Penn
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Camp William Penn
Cheltenham Township, PA · est. 1999
Established in 1863 in Cheltenham Township, Camp William Penn was Pennsylvania's only training camp for African American soldiers and the largest of eighteen such camps in the nation. Over 10,000 men in eleven regiments of United States Colored Troops trained here before shipping out to fight in Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and beyond; the camp closed in August 1865 as the war ended.
Lucretia C. Mott
Cheltenham Township, PA · est. 1974
Near here stood "Roadside," the home of Lucretia Mott (1793–1880), a Quaker minister whose moral force helped drive some of the century's great reform movements. A tireless abolitionist, she helped organize the 1848 Seneca Falls convention and championed women's rights, temperance, and peace. Her faith and eloquence made her a leader when few women spoke publicly at all.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Cheltenham Township, PA · est. 1992
Consecrated in 1861, St. Paul's is the oldest church building in Cheltenham Township, founded by Jay Cooke, the banker whose bond-selling campaigns earned him the nickname "financier of the Civil War." Its cemetery, laid out in 1879 and enlarged in 1905, holds Cooke's mausoleum among the graves of prominent residents. The original design by Sidney & Merry was later expanded by the celebrated Gilded Age architect Horace Trumbauer.
Benjamin Lay (1682-1759)
Abington Township, PA · est. 2018
Long before abolition became a mass movement, Benjamin Lay—a Quaker, a dwarf, and a man of ferocious conviction—was denouncing slavery in colonial Pennsylvania. He staged dramatic public protests, boycotted everything made by enslaved labor, and wrote a blistering pamphlet against Quaker slaveholders that got him disowned by his own meeting. He lived simply, reportedly in a cave, and his moral witness helped push Quakers to become the first religious body in America to renounce slavery within their ranks by 1776.