Transcending Thresholds
Cliveden of the National Trust
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Cliveden of the National Trust, kitchen quarter on the second floor of Cliveden, 2021. Photo by Libbie Hawes.
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Cliveden of the National Trust, visitors observe an archaeological investigation of the work yard at Cliveden, 2021. Photo by Libbie Hawes.
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Cliveden of the National Trust, female harvesters' work yard and dependencies at Cliveden, 2022. Photo by Libbie Hawes.
New exhibitions and visitor tours focus on experiences of enslavement and servitude as Cliveden expands its interpretation of the site’s 250-year history as a residence and location of the 1777 Revolutionary Battle of Germantown. With input from a committee of Northwest Philadelphia community members, along with a group of historians, the project places greater emphasis on the lives of people who lived and labored at Cliveden. Transcending Thresholds explores themes of American identity and freedom by looking beyond traditional archives to uncover stories embedded in the site’s architecture, landscape, and material culture. A book of essays sharing the project’s methodology and outcomes serves as a resource for public history practitioners.
The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.