Barn & Carriage House

Barn and Carriage House. . , The Cliveden Barn and Carriage House was enlarged at least six times since it was built for Benjamin Chew in 1766 by master craftsmen John Heeser and Jacob Knorr. As originally constructed, the building was a coach house and stable. In the 18th and 19th century, coachmen often slept in the stable so they could be available to saddle or harness the horses. In the late 1770s, William Stewart worked as the coachman., By 1798,, the stable and coach house doubled in size with an addition for a carriage bay and stalls for horses, with a loft above. A cow stable was added to the rear, as the property shifted to more agricultural production. During the mid-19th century, two box stalls and a feed room were added. In the 1860s, farmer John Nichol, oversaw the management of the barn, animals and fields., Two cupolas and a frame cart house and shop wing were added in 1881. In the late 19th century, the barn was a multi-purpose building, housing horses, cows, carriages, wagons, carts, hay, feed, and serving as a shop area. Farm workers, stable hands, day laborers, gardeners, carpenters, farriers, and others worked in and around the barn., In 1959, the barn was remodeled for the Chew and Company Advertising office. A fire gutted the building in 1970. The building was remodeled in the 1970s by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as offices and visitor center for the historic site.,

Construction Chronology. 1766 horse stable, coach house, hay loft , by 1798 west barn addition, hay loft, cow stable , by 1873 two box stalls, passage, feed room , by 1881 cupolas, chimney, shop, cart house