Cliveden

The Cliveden Arboretum is home to 4 different kinds of maple trees, and today's tree is the Sugar Maple! Native to Canada and northern parts of the Central and Eastern United States, the Sugar Maple can grow to a height of 100-120 ft. The bark is deeply furrowed with large grey smooth patches and their wood is used for baseball bats, string instruments, and drums. The Sugar Maple at Cliveden can be found in front of the Cliveden Barn and was planted in honor of Samuel Chew V (1915-1989), Cliveden's last owner before the property became a National Trust for Historic Preservation site.

Today's a beautiful day to visit the Cliveden Arboretum; stop by and check out the trees! 🌳🌲

This past weekend marked the beginning of the Neshaminy Encampment. The Continental Army camped in Warwick Township, Bucks County, PA while Washington headquartered at The Moland House, home to attorney John Moland and his family. Washington and the Continental Army camped there for 13 days, August 10-23, 1777. Fun fact: Continental troops marched through the German Township (Germantown today 😁) to reach camp and Washington was pleased to hear that little damage had been done to fences and property.

Today, the Moland House is a historic site and offers tours on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month between 1pm and 4pm. Follow them here or visit their website to learn more! https://moland.org/

Follow us as we track troop movements and events leading to the Battle of Germantown.

The Revolutionary Germantown Festival returns in 8 weeks on Saturday, October 5th, 10am to 4pm, rain or shine! Join Cliveden, the sites of Historic Germantown, first-person interpreters, and re-enactors for a glimpse of 18th century Germantown and learn about our neighborhood’s role in the American Revolution. Follow us on social media and our website ( https://cliveden.org/revolutionary-germantown-festival/) for updates, day of activities, and more. We’ll also share the British and Continental forces’ movements as Philadelphia – the colonial capital – is threatened to be captured by the British. Will the British succeed? Only time will tell….

Thank you to our sponsors: Asher's Chocolates, Tipsy Cafe & Catering, John Milner Architects, Inc., PHILADELPHIA250, Randall and Linda Miller, The Reed Group, and Wissahickon Landscape Design. We appreciate your support!

It's a beautiful day for Second Saturdays at Cliveden! Join us for Cliveden's Histories & Landscapes - a property walking tour at 10:30am. Admission is $20, $10 for 19119 and 19144 residents, and comfortable shoes and a drink are recommended (see https://cliveden.org/histories-landscapes/ to learn more).

In the afternoon take a free tour of the House from 12pm to 4pm, beginning on the hour; the last tour is at 3pm. Two free activities for children and their caregivers are offered at 12:30pm & 1:30pm: Object Investigator, exploring objects from the past, and free storytime at The Literacy Nest with Go Mt. Airy. Visit https://cliveden.org/second-saturdays/ for more information.

The Stamp Rally begins today! Stop by Cliveden to grab a free stamp booklet, explore our property and stamp your way to great prizes. Visit Historic Germantown's for more details: https://historicgermantownpa.org/stamprally/

Have a great Saturday in Germantown!

Sign up today or in person for our August Spotlight Tour, Cliveden's Histories & Landscapes! Cliveden staff will lead a walking tour of the property, exploring changes to the property, how the land was used and discussing the flora, fauna and Cliveden Arboretum. General admission is $20, $10 for 19119 and 19144 residents: https://cliveden.org/histories-landscapes/

Our Spotlight Tour is part of our Second Saturdays programming, where visitors can take yoga with local instructor Amy Marie Yoga, take free tours of the house from 12pm to 4pm (last tour is at 3pm!), and two free children's activities: Object Investigator and free story time at The Literacy Nest with Go Mt. Airy! To learn more visit https://cliveden.org/second-saturdays/ . We'll see you on Saturday!

Picture: A.E. Rogerson & E.J. Murphy, Map of the Township of Germantown, 1851, Germantown Historical Society, Philadelphia

Come to Cliveden this Saturday, August 10th, to pick up a free Stamp Rally booklet, explore the property and get Cliveden's special stamp to start Historic Germantown's Stamp Rally contest! For more information about the rally, visit https://historicgermantownpa.org/stamprally/ .

The American Sycamore tree is our tree for today! The sycamore is known for its bark, flakey brown patches that reveal stark white skin underneath. It can grow between 75 to 100 feet in height, and is native to eastern and central United States, extreme southern Ontario, and the mountains of northeastern Mexico.

The Cliveden Arboretum is free to the public to enjoy whenever the gates our open!

Need to release some stress from the week? Sign up today for outdoor morning yoga with Amy Marie Yoga next Saturday, August 10th at 9:30am, part of the Second Saturdays at Cliveden programming! Start your weekend off with relaxing movements and breathing in the Cliveden Arboretum, and stretch it out, just like our friend Charlie.

Interested yogis should contact Amy at [email protected] to register for class. See you next week!

On Tuesdays, we celebrate the trees! 🌲🌳 Follow us here as we highlight the trees in our Level I Arboretum.

Today's tree is the Black Walnut tree, located behind the House. Native to eastern North America, the Black Walnut is prized for its durable dark wood which can be used for furniture, fence posts, poles, shingles and sills. The tree's fruit is covered in a green husk, and ripens in the fall, producing walnuts that can be used for snacking and cooking or ground into a meal for baking. Be sure to watch your step around the Black Walnut as there may be fruit or walnuts in the grass.

The Cliveden Arboretum is free for the public to enjoy whenever the gates are open. Stop by and enjoy the trees!

Mary Bowman shares her story today in our last dramatic tour of the season! Tour Cliveden today and hear Mary's experience witnessing the conflict within the Chew family.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through our website (https://cliveden.org/dramatic-experience/) and in-person at the Cliveden Barn (98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119). Tours are available 12pm, 1:30pm and 3pm. We'll see you this afternoon.

The Turmoil of Transition: A Dramatic Experience is generously supported by The Haley Foundation.

📸: Actress Elizabeth McElroy portrays Mary Bowman.

Join Cliveden on a walking tour of the 5.5-acre property, discovering the stories and flora and fauna within the walls! The hour and a half long experience will explore the changes to the property before and during the Chew family's ownership, how the land was used, and learn about the trees in our newly accredited Level I Arboretum.

Cliveden's Histories & Landscapes tour covers a half mile and there will be times to stop and sit during the walk. Please wear appropriate footwear and bring a drink if needed. In case of inclement weather, this tour will be rescheduled.

General admission is $20; $10 admission for residents in the 19119 and 19144 zip codes. Advanced registration is required; visit https://cliveden.org/histories-landscapes/ to sign up today!

Picture: A.E. Rogerson & E.J. Murphy, Map of the Township of Germantown, 1851, Germantown Historical Society, Philadelphia

Cliveden's last dramatic tour is this Saturday, July 27th! Tour Cliveden and meet Mary Bowman (1793-1864), housekeeper and nurse at Cliveden during the mid-19th century. Mary witnessed with the turmoil within the Chew family as they tried settling the affairs of Benjamin Chew, Jr. after his death in 1844 and will share her story with visitors.

Admission is $20 and available for purchase through our website - https://cliveden.org/dramatic-experience/ or at the Cliveden Barn (98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119) on Saturday. Tours are offered 12pm, 1:30pm and 3pm. Space is available on all three tours, but not for long. Sign up today!

The Turmoil of Transition: A Dramatic Experience is generously supported by The Haley Foundation.

Picture: Actress Elizabeth McElroy portraying Mary Bowman

Morning yoga with Amy Marie Yoga has been cancelled for tomorrow, July 13th, due to the weather. Thank you.

Tickets are available for the Spotlight Tour, Fine Art: The Paintings & People at Cliveden! $20 general admission; $10 for residents in 19119 and 19144 zip codes, and can be purchased via our website - https://cliveden.org/fine-art/ - or at the Cliveden Barn tomorrow (98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119).

The hour long tour features a presentation on the artists who painted the portraits followed by a tour to view the portraits in the house. Come out and explore the art at Cliveden!

Portrait of Margaret Oswald, 1752

Cliveden offers fun activities every second Saturday, July to October! Visitors can:

🌳 Take a morning, outdoor yoga class with Amy Marie Yoga at 9:30am (email Amy at [email protected] for information);

🏠 Free house tours, 12pm to 4pm, beginning on the hour and featuring our exhibit 'The Turmoil of Transition: The mid-nineteenth century at Cliveden;'

Two family-friendly activities, 12:30pm to 1:30pm:
🔍 Object Investigator - Inspect objects from Cliveden's collections in a 30-minute guided experience;

📚 Storytime at The Literacy Nest with Go Mt. Airy - Join Mt. Airy CDC for a free story time at the Nest, a community reading installation built for children and their caregivers to be a safe and inviting space to share and read stories.

To participate in Object Investigator and the Storytime, sign up at https://cliveden.org/second-saturdays/. See you this Saturday!

Last dramatic tour of 2024!

Mary Bowman will share her story on Saturday, July 27th at 12pm, 1:30pm, and 3pm. Mary had a long connection to the Chew family, serving Benjamin Chew III and his family prior to working as a housekeeper at Cliveden and nursemaid to Benjamin Chew, Jr. and Katherine Banning Chew in the mid-nineteenth century. After Benjamin Chew Jr.'s death in 1844, Mary witnessed the family's struggles in settling his estate and the rifts between mother, son and siblings.

Tickets for our last dramatic tour of 2024 can be purchased via our website or day of at the Cliveden Barn (98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119). Purchase your ticket today!
The Turmoil of Transition: A Dramatic Experience is generously supported by The Haley Foundation.

Sign up today for our Spotlight Tour, happening this Saturday, July 13th at 10:30am!

Learn about the people in the paintings at Cliveden and the artists who created them. Fine Art: The Paintings & People at Cliveden will begin in the Cliveden Barn, located at 98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119. After check-in, Cliveden staff will give a presentation followed by a tour of the house to view the portraits.

General admission is $20; $10 for residents in the 19119 and 19144 zip codes. The tour will be capped at 20 people. Advanced registration through our website is required: https://cliveden.org/fine-art/.

Portrait of Margaret Oswald, 1752

Cliveden and Young American Hard Cider’s special tour promotion continues this year! After touring Cliveden (tour days are Thursdays-Sundays, 12pm to 4pm), request a dated coupon from a Cliveden Interpreter for one FREE traditional hard cider at Young American (6350 Germantown Avenue). Show your coupon upon arrival and spend some time at one of the local businesses in the community. Note: The promotion is only good on the day of your tour!

To learn more about Young American Hard Cider, follow them here or visit their website at https://www.youngamericancider.com/. Cliveden tours can be booked in advance; visit our website at https://cliveden.org/tours/.

Meet Henry Banning Chew tomorrow, July 6th, at Cliveden. Henry was one of the sons and executors of his father's, Benjamin Chew, Jr., will along with his brothers and brother-in-law. Henry will recount the turmoil between him, his oldest brother Benjamin Chew III, and the stress from the constant legal battles to settle his father's affairs.

Tours are offered at 12pm, 1:30pm and 3pm and begin in the Cliveden Barn (98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119). Groups will be limited to 15 people. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Barn on Saturday or in advance through our website: https://cliveden.org/dramatic-experience/. Space is available, purchase your ticket today!

The Turmoil of Transition: A Dramatic Experience is generously supported by The Haley Foundation.

Happy July 4th! Cliveden is open today from 10am - 2pm, part of Wawa Welcome America Free Museum Day. Come for free tours of the first floor of the house, explore the exhibits in the Cliveden Barn (98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119) and engage with nature in the Cliveden Arboretum. Looking forward to seeing you here!

Tickets are available for Cliveden's dramatic tours this Saturday, July 6th! Henry Banning Chew-son, lawyer, and enslaver-will share his account of the turmoil between him, his oldest brother Benjamin Chew III, and their mother Katherine Banning Chew and the stress from the constant legal battles to settle his father's affairs.

Tours are available at 12pm, 1:30pm, and 3pm and are limited to 15 people. Admission is $20 and can be purchased through our website: https://cliveden.org/dramatic-experience/ Space is available, sign up today.

The Turmoil of Transition: Henry Banning Chew is generously supported by The Haley Foundation.

📷Actor Alex Vrinceanu portraying Henry Banning Chew

Learn about the fine arts and portraits at Cliveden at our next Spotlight Tour on Saturday, July 13th at 10:30am! Cliveden staff will give a presentation on the artists in the Cliveden Barn followed by a tour of the portraits in the house.

General admission for Fine Arts: The Paintings & People of Cliveden is $20. Admission for residents in 19119 and 19144 zip codes is $10. To sign up, visit https://cliveden.org/fine-art/.

The July Spotlight Tour is part of Cliveden’s Second Saturday program. To learn more, visit https://cliveden.org/second-saturdays/.

Portrait of Margaret Oswald, 1752.

Cliveden will be open on July 4th, 10am to 2pm, part of Wawa Welcome America Free Museum Day! Free tours of the first floor of the house will be offered and visitors are welcome to check out the exhibits in the Cliveden Barn (98 E. Cliveden Street, 19119). Visitors are also welcome to enjoy nature and the Cliveden Arboretum during these hours.

Visit https://july4thphilly.com/ for Wawa Welcome America's events and July 4th schedule.

On Saturday, July 6th, meet Henry Banning Chew, one of the sons and executors of Benjamin Chew, Jr. Visitors will hear Henry's account of the turmoil between him, his oldest brother Benjamin Chew III, and their mother Katherine Banning Chew and the stress from the constant legal battles to settle his father's affairs.

Tours are available at 12pm, 1:30pm, and 3pm and are limited to 15 people. Admission is $20 and can be purchased through our website: https://cliveden.org/dramatic-experience/ Space is
available, sign up today.

The Turmoil of Transition: Henry Banning Chew is generously supported by The Haley Foundation.

📷Actor Alex Vrinceanu portraying Henry Banning Chew

Cliveden will be closed tomorrow, June 19th, in observance of Juneteenth. We will reopen, Thursday, June 20, 2024.

Cliveden is pleased to announce the property is now accredited as a Level I Arboretum! We are delighted to join fellow Historic Germantown sites Historic Rittenhouse Town and Historic Fair Hill as a part of the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. Stay tuned for more information and history of property and the tree and plant collection at the Cliveden Arboretum.

Supper Sessions return tomorrow June 12th at 5pm and Cliveden will be there with information about our upcoming programs, tours and more. Be sure to stop by our table, we'd love to share all things Cliveden with you. See you tomorrow! Go Mt. Airy

Note: Supper Sessions will be held on the 7100-7200 blocks of Germantown Avenue, 5pm-9pm.

Second Saturday is tomorrow and Cliveden has a fun day planned! At 9:30am, join Amy Marie Yoga for morning outdoor yoga on the grounds (email her at [email protected] for details), followed by the Spotlight Tour - Cliveden Property Walking Tour - at 10:30am which explores the site's 400 year history. Space is available for the property tour; visit https://cliveden.org/property-walking-tour/ to register.

In the afternoon, take a free tour of the House from 12pm to 4pm, explore an object from our collections with Cliveden staff during 'Object Investigator' at 12:30pm, and a free story time with Go Mt. Airy at The Literacy Nest. All are welcome to participate.

To learn more about Second Saturdays at Cliveden, visit https://cliveden.org/second-saturdays/. We'll see you tomorrow!