A series of documents have launched a series of community conversations about slavery and race that begin this week at a historic mansion in Germantown.

(photo of possible servants quarters at Cliveden by KYW's Karin Phillips)

KYW’s Karin Phillips reports that papers recently discovered in Cliveden mansion in Germantown reveal that its builder, Benjamin Chew, owned upward of nine plantations in Delaware and Maryland and hundreds of slaves.

Rick Fink is education director at Cliveden:

“We always thought that a lot of his income was derived from his political connections, from his role as the Supreme Court Justice of Pennsylvania, we thought that he made a lot of his money from being a lawyer. What we’re learning is that a lot of his money was likely coming from his plantations.”

Cliveden has been getting input from community leaders and educators on how to retell the mansion’s story. A series of what’s being called Cliveden Conversations begin September 10th. To register, call 215-848-1777.

Listen to the full interview…