Register today for our April Cliveden Conversation with Dr. Gary Laderman on April 19th on Zoom.

Cliveden of the National Trust Logo

- What we do -
Cliveden connects visitors to over 250 years of history.

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The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death in the Early 19th Century

On Thursday, April 19th at 7pm, join Cliveden and Dr. Gary Laderman from Emory University as he explores the changing attitudes toward death and the dead in the first half of the 19th century. The program is free and virtual; advanced registration is required.

cliveden conversations, the sacred remains, sacred remains
international day of monuments sites

2025 International Day of Monuments & Sites

Cliveden will be open for International Day of Monuments & Sites, Saturday, April 19th from 12pm to 4pm. Visitors are welcome to explore the grounds and participate in the Stamp Rally Scavenger Hunt Contest as well as view the exhibits in the Cliveden Barn. The grounds and Barn are free to the public.

international day of monuments sites
masonry, roofing, electrical, house care, workshop series

2025 Old House Care Workshop Series

Sign up today for the 2025 Old House Care Workshop Series and increase your knowledge on common house care topics through this three part workshop series.

Online registration is recommended as space is limited.

masonry, roofing, electrical, house care, workshop series
cliveden conversations, tour illuminating hidden lives

Recordings Available: Facebook Live & March 12th Cliveden Conversation

Recordings are available of the Facebook Live program, Vault Visit: Jacob the Freedom Seeker, and of the March 12th Cliveden Conversation, Illuminating Hidden Lives Film Debut. They can be viewed on the Illuminating Hidden Lives webpage.

cliveden conversations, tour illuminating hidden lives
Revealing Revolutionary Germantown

Revealing Revolutionary Germantown

Cliveden is piloting a new project that explores the 1777 Battle of Germantown and the impact this historic event had on our neighborhood. Use the handouts to learn more! 

Revealing Revolutionary Germantown

Cliveden Arboretum

Cliveden is pleased to announce the property is now accredited as a Level I Arboretum! The arboretum is free to the public to enjoy whenever the gates are open. Click on the button below to learn more.

scavenger hunt

Historic Germantown Stamp Rally Scavenger Hunt Contest

Historic Germantown's Stamp Rally Contest begins Saturday, April 19th, featuring a scavenger hunt! Pick up a booklet, visit the 20 sites in Historic Germantown, grab a stamp and find the scavenger hunt item to win a prize.

*The contest runs from April 19th to June 21st.*

scavenger hunt

Support Our Work

Slavery Documents

Confronting the Past

The institution of slavery is woven deep into the economic growth and political fabric of America. Benjamin Chew was born on a Maryland plantation into a family with a history of slave-holding dating back to the 17th century.

Preserving the Past

At Cliveden we have many fascinating item collections that help you understand the world of the Chew family. View our collections at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

 

Shown: Tea cup and saucer from 1811.

tea cup and saucer from 1811

Stay up to Date with Us

Recording Available: Vault Visit

Recording available for Facebook Live program Vault Visit: Jacob the Freedom Seeker A recording available for the Facebook Live program, Vault Visit: Jacob the Freedom Seeker, is now available.  In this Facebook Live event, Cliveden’s Education Director Carolyn Wallace and Adrienne Whaley of the African American Genealogy Group (AAGG) explored the freedom-seeking strategies among the…

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Recording Available: Illuminating Hidden Lives Film Debut

Recording available of March 12th Cliveden Conversation A recording of the Cliveden Conversation held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 is now available. https://youtu.be/cUXY9G42zwM?si=0rAIIYgH2x3sGTf0 Cliveden, the African American Genealogy Group of Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and PWPvideo discuss their work for the project, Illuminating Hidden Lives: digitizing documents from the Chew Family Papers, translating…

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Revealing Revolutionary Germantown

Check out Cliveden’s new project, revealing Germantown during the 1777 Battle of Germantown Revealing Revolutionary Germantown explores the Battle of Germantown (October 4, 1777) and highlights the sites in Germantown impacted by this historic event.  Cliveden offers handouts featuring an illustrated map of the battle on one side and site descriptions on the other side.…

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View our Latest Events

The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death in the Early 19th Century

Join Dr. Gary Laderman as he explores the changing attitudes toward death and the dead in the first half of the 19th century. Our current exhibit at Cliveden, The Turmoil of Transition, explores the experiences of one household after the death of Benjamin Chew Jr in 1844. The program is free and virtual; advanced registration…

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The Turmoil of Transition: The mid-nineteenth century at Cliveden

Learn about the mid-nineteenth century at Cliveden Cliveden’s current exhibition, The Turmoil of Transition: The mid-nineteenth century at Cliveden, explores a pivotal time in the Chew household. While the country faced internal conflicts around the institution of slavery and a struggling economy, the Chews experienced turmoil after the death of Benjamin Chew, Jr. in 1844…

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Old House Care Workshop Series

Sign up for the 2025 Old House Care Workshop Series WMAN’s Historic Preservation Initiative champions the economic, environmental, and community benefits of saving our historic places. Increase your knowledge on common house care topics through this three part workshop series. Online registration recommended as space is limited. To register, visit https://bit.ly/house-care-workshops-2025. Suggested donation: $10 per workshop or…

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Testimonials from our Visitors

silhouette of Charity Castle, an enslaved woman who was given to Harriet Chew (1775-1861)