Cliveden (Benjamin Chew House) facts for kids
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Cliveden
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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| Location | 6401 Germantown Avenue Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| 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 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | January 20, 1961 |
| Designated NHLDCP | June 23, 1965 |
Cliveden (/ˈklɪvdən/ or KLIV-dən), also known as the Chew House, is a famous historic site. It is located in the Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia. The National Trust for Historic Preservation now owns it.
Cliveden was built as a country home for a lawyer named Benjamin Chew. It was finished in 1767. Seven generations of the Chew family lived here. Cliveden is well-known for being the site of the American Revolutionary War's Battle of Germantown in 1777. It is also famous for its beautiful Georgian architecture.
New research is helping us understand the lives of all the people who lived and worked there. This includes those who served the Chew family. This information helps us learn more about American identity and freedom. You can find clues about Cliveden's history all over its 5-acre (2.0 ha) grounds.
The Cliveden grounds are open to the public as a park. You can visit Monday to Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM, if the weather is good. The property has four buildings: the Main House, Kitchen Dependency, Wash House, and Carriage House. You can take tours of Cliveden from May through November. Tours are available Thursday to Sunday, from 12 PM to 4 PM.
Contents
What is Cliveden's History?
Cliveden was built between 1763 and 1767. Local German builders constructed it as a summer home. It was for Benjamin Chew, Sr. (1722–1810) and his family. They used it to escape the summer heat and sickness in the city.
During the American Revolutionary War, Cliveden was central to the Battle of Germantown in 1777. The Chew family lived in the house for many generations until 1972. There was one time they sold it after the battle. But they bought it back in 1797. Even with changes over the years, the original look of the house stayed the same.
Who Was Benjamin Chew?
Benjamin Chew was born in Maryland. He moved to Pennsylvania because of land opportunities. He also had a good connection with the Penn family. Chew became a lawyer and an important advisor to the Pennsylvania Colony. Later, he became the Chief Justice of the colony.
This important job brought him wealth and opportunities. The Chew family owned a city house in Philadelphia. They also had a large house in Delaware. They owned several large properties in Maryland and Delaware too. The family had many business interests. These included shipping, farming, and iron mining. Many people worked for the family to help run these businesses.
How Was Cliveden Designed?
Cliveden's design came from building styles in the United Kingdom. It shows the popular designs of wealthy homes in the American colonies. But it also used local building materials and methods from the Delaware Valley. The front of Cliveden looks very balanced. This is typical of Georgian architecture.
No one knows for sure who designed Cliveden. But old family papers suggest a lawyer named William Peters (1702–1786) drew some plans. He was inspired by famous architects like Andrea Palladio and Abraham Swan. Cliveden was built when Germantown was growing quickly. It mixed the formal Georgian style with local German building traditions. The Chew family papers also show that master carpenter Jacob Knorr and master mason John Hesser helped build it.
What Does Cliveden Look Like?
Cliveden was very large for Germantown in the 1760s. It is bigger than most colonial houses in Philadelphia. The house has two full floors and a half-story attic. The front of the house has five sections. The middle section sticks out a bit and has fancy decorations.
Cliveden has a gabled roof, which is unusual for a Georgian house. This shows the Germantown style. Two large brick chimneys stick out from the roof. The roof also has five big urns on brick bases.
The walls are made of Wissahickon schist stone. This was cheaper than brick and a common building material in Germantown. The outside of the house has different finishes. The front has smooth, cut stone blocks. The side facing the public has smooth stucco. Other sides were rough stone, but one was later covered in stucco. The inside also has different levels of fancy woodwork.
Inside the House
The first floor of Cliveden has an unusual T-shaped main hall. There are small rooms on each side of the wide entrance hall. Larger rooms are on each side of the hall with the stairs. The front and back halls are separated by impressive columns.
On the second floor, a "gallery" is in the middle. It is between two large rooms. The attic had rooms for servants and children. The cellar has a cooking fireplace and other spaces for kitchen work. A hidden staircase connects the cellar to the attic.
Other Buildings at Cliveden
Cliveden has two smaller buildings next to the main house. They are called "dependencies." They have fronts that look like small temples, matching the main house. Inside, these buildings are simpler. They look like typical small houses from the area.
One building was a kitchen. It was made bigger to add a cooking fireplace and oven. The other building was a Wash House. It later became the estate office. Both buildings had second floors and attics. These were sleeping rooms for staff, both free and those who served the family.
In 1776, a covered walkway called a "Colonnade" was built. It connected the main house to the kitchen. The Main House, Kitchen, Colonnade, and Wash House formed a work yard behind the house. This was an important outdoor work area. Later, other small buildings like a pantry, smoke house, and milk house were added.
Changes Over Time
In the early 1800s, Benjamin Chew, Jr. (1758–1844) inherited Cliveden. He developed it as a gentleman's farm. There were wheat fields and a corn crib on the property. Later, Anne Sophia Penn Chew (1805–1892) inherited Cliveden.
In 1868, she added a new section to the north. This addition had two new rooms. It also brought modern upgrades like gas lighting and indoor plumbing. A coal furnace and a kitchen stove were installed too. This new section enclosed the Colonnade. It turned that space into a butler's pantry.
Mary Johnson Brown Chew (1839–1927), a niece by marriage, inherited Cliveden next. She was an early supporter of historic preservation. In 1921, two bathrooms with modern fixtures were added. The last Chew family members moved to Cliveden in 1959. Some later changes included new floorboards and a modern kitchen.
Further Research
The Chew Family Papers are a large collection of letters, documents, and financial records. You can use them for research at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Images for kids
- Architecture
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Cliveden, southwest view from driveway
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Cliveden, south elevation
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Cliveden, southwest view
See also
- Stenton
- Grumblethorpe
- John Johnson House
- Concord School House
- Wyck House
- Mennonite Meetinghouse
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Northwest Philadelphia
