Valley Forge museum zoning hearing resumes tonight

The zoning hearing over a controversial plan to build a multi-million-dollar museum complex on private land inside Valley Forge national park resumes tonight in Lower Providence Township.

Several homeowners and a national parks conservation group have filed an appeal that seeks to prevent the American Revolution Center from building a museum, conference center and trailhead structure on the north side of the Schuylkill.

The hearings have been marked by contention and accusation, the long hours and late nights fraying nerves and tempers. After more than 12 hours of hearings, only a handful of witnesses have testified, with much of the time taken up by debates between attorneys. Argument has threatened to obscure the import of the issue at the hearings' center - the future of Valley Forge, crucible of the American Revolution.

Tonight's hearing begins at 7 p.m. at the Lower Providence township building in Eagleville.