The 2023 tour season begins May 4th! The grounds are open and free to the public. Masks are required in all buildings.

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

reconstructing black families

Reconstructing Black Families: Stories from the Chew Papers

Hybrid programming with Cliveden, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the African American Genealogy Group on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 6:30pm. Registration is open now!

Tours

Tours return Thursday, May 4th at 12pm!

Beginning May 4th, tours will be available Thursdays through Sundays, 12pm to 4pm. Tours begin on the hour, with the last tour of the day at 3pm. Visitors are required to wear masks during tours. To schedule a tour, visit the Tours page and schedule your visit online!

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

Reconstructing Black Families: Stories from the Chew Papers

In Partnership with Cliveden of the National Trust, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the African American Genealogy Group Spread throughout the 288.5 linear feet of the Chew Family Papers at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania is the evidence of the lives of early American families of African descent, both free and enslaved. Recent digitization…

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Finding Black Families: Recording Available

2022 Cliveden Conversation Series Cliveden, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the African American Genealogy Group collaborated for the program Finding Black Families: Stories from The Chew Family Papers on Tuesday, February 22nd. The conversation discussed discoveries of Black families, free and enslaved, who labored for the Chew family found in the Chew Family Papers. …

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Cliveden’s 2021 Annual Report

The 2021 Annual Report covers Cliveden’s work in maintaining our relationship with our community, continuing preserving the site and collections, expanding use of the greenspace, sharing new research and more. Our work was made possible by your support, from donations and following Cliveden on social media to attending any of our virtual programs and tours in 2021.…

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View our Latest Events

Reconstructing Black Families: Stories from the Chew Papers

In Partnership with Cliveden of the National Trust, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the African American Genealogy Group Spread throughout the 288.5 linear feet of the Chew Family Papers at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania is the evidence of the lives of early American families of African descent, both free and enslaved. Recent digitization…

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Preserving & Adapting Their World

Cliveden’s newest exhibit highlights the lives of women at Cliveden: Black, White, free and enslaved, from the 18th through the 20th centuries. Preserving & Adapting Their World: The Women of Cliveden provides a case study of the ways women exercise power and agency even though society constrains them legally, culturally, and politically. To view the…

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Considering Re-enactments: The Battle of Germantown in the Light of 21st–Century Gun Violence

Cliveden is known as the site of the 1777 Revolutionary War Battle of Germantown and the annual Revolutionary Germantown Festival held on the grounds every first weekend in October, featuring two battle re-enactments. In response to the increase in gun violence across the country and in the local community, Cliveden looks to evaluate its interpretation…

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Testimonials from our Visitors

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