Cliveden (Benjamin Chew House)
Cliveden (/ˈklɪvdən/ or KLIV-dən), also known as the Chew House, is a historic site owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, located in the Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia. 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's Battle of Germantown in 1777 as well as for its Georgian architecture.
Cliveden | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property | |
| Location | 6401 Germantown Avenue Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°02′46″N 75°10′56″W |
| Area | 5.4 acres (2.2 ha) |
| Built | 1767 |
| Built by | Jacob Knorr and John Hesser, among other Germantown craftsmen |
| Architect | Attributed to William Peters |
| Architectural style | Georgian Colonial |
| Part of | Colonial Germantown Historic District (ID66000678) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000677 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | January 20, 1961 |
| Designated NHLDCP | June 23, 1965 |
New research is unearthing a more complicated history at Cliveden, which involves layers of significance, including the lives of those who were enslaved and in service to the Chew family. That 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 5-acre (2.0 ha) woody landscape.
The Cliveden grounds are open for the community to enjoy as a public park from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting. The property includes four buildings, the Main House, Kitchen Dependency, Wash House and Carriage House. Tours of Cliveden are available May through November, from Thursday to Sunday, 12 pm to 4 pm.