York Colonial Complex

The York Colonial Complex brings together several historic buildings that illuminate York's remarkable nine-month stint as the temporary capital of the United States during the Revolutionary War. The Golden Plough Tavern (1741) and the General Gates House (c. 1751) are among the oldest surviving structures in York County, and the reproduction Colonial Court House is where the Continental Congress met in 1777–1778.

The key exhibit is the reproduction of the Continental Congress chamber, where the Articles of Confederation were adopted in November 1777. It's an undervisited site compared to Philadelphia's Independence Hall, but it covers an equally consequential chapter in American history. The York County History Center on East Market Street manages the complex and has additional galleries on regional history.

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A story
In September 1777, with Philadelphia in British hands, the Continental Congress fled west and reconvened in York. Over the following nine months they drafted and adopted the Articles of Confederation — America's first national governing document — right here. York was, briefly, the capital of a new nation.