First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry: America's Oldest Military Unit

Behind this armory on South Twenty-Third Street is the home of one of the oldest continuously serving military units in the United States. The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry was founded in seventeen seventy-four as a militia called the Philadelphia Light Horse, formed by prominent citizens on the eve of revolution.

They often served as General Washington's personal bodyguard, and they fought at the Battle of Trenton. The unit has served in every major American conflict since, with membership over the centuries including many prominent Philadelphians. Today the unit serves as part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and this privately funded armory is still their home.