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 around the American Revolution and the re-enactment as an interpretive tool with the help of the community.

This program is part of Considering Re-enactments: The Battle of Germantown in the Light of 21st Century Gun Violence supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage and by the Interpretation and Education Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, an endowed fund made possible by a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In an era of gun violence in the United States, Cliveden looks to initiate dialogue with local and re-enactment communities about the relevancy and impact of the site’s signature event, the Revolutionary Germantown Festival featuring re-enactments of the Battle of Germantown. The Cliveden Conversations will offer input scholars and experts to start conversations with participants around the history and impact of the American Revolution.  The hope is through these discussions Cliveden can discover the impact the site’s current interpretation of Revolutionary era history has on the community, how it makes you feel, and if it resonates with you.