Cliveden's grounds are open! Come and enjoy our landscape.

About Cliveden

Built as a country house for attorney Benjamin Chew, Cliveden was completed in 1767 and was home to seven generations of the Chew family. Cliveden has long been famous as the site of the American Revolutionary War Battle of Germantown in 1777, as well as for its Georgian architecture. New research is unearthing a more complicated history at Cliveden, which involves layers of significance, including the lives of those who were enslaved by and in service to the Chew family. This information broadens the meaning of Cliveden as a preserved historic place, exploring themes and stories of American identity and freedom. Traces of the history of the Cliveden property and its occupants can be found throughout the five-and-a-half-acre woody landscape.

OUR MISSION

Cliveden invites and gathers the community, educates students, teachers and public visitors and in a safe space, convenes vital conversations about history, race, culture, class, gender, civics and current events. We preserve this special place for community use and for future generations.

landscape

Our Team

The Cliveden Staff and Board Members are always interested in your feedback. Contact us if you need any information or have any questions.

Cliveden Staff

Nancy VanDolsen: Chief Executive Officer

Libbie Hawes: Preservation Director

Carolyn Wallace: Education Director

Jocelyn Rouse: Marketing & Development Coordinator

Piper Burnett: Curatorial Housekeeper & Facilities Custodian

Jamie Davenport: Gardener

Michelle Carter-Bailey: Interpreter

Nick Bailey: Interpreter

Felix Haase: Interpreter

Gigi McGraw: Interpreter

Shiloh Mugar: Interpreter

Bridgid Ryan: Interpreter

Kathleen Sheridan: Interpreter

Keyanna Wigglesworth: Interpreter

Board of Directors

Conrad Person: Board Chair

Susan Leidy: Treasurer

Darryl J. Ford: Secretary

Brian Ames

Glenn Bergman

Joan Countryman

Garth Herrick

Alan Keiser

Violette Levy

Randall Miller

Theodore Reed

Brad Roeder

Seri Worden

Discover Germantown

Historic Germantown is a consortium of nineteen historic sites, museums, historical organizations and arboretums located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. These organizations are joined by a common mission to foster an appreciation of the diverse character and meaning of their cultural heritage in order to preserve and revitalize their community.

Together, they provide knowledge and resources to help preserve Germantown’s historic sites, interpret them to the public, and incorporate them into the life of the local community.