Where Was the Historical Battle of Germantown?
The Battle of Germantown was fought in the village of Germantown – a separate village within Philadelphia County, at the time. The most important stage of the battle was fought at Cliveden and Upsala, two remarkable estates that have been preserved as historic sites. They are located in Northwest Philadelphia. However, at the time it was fought in 1777, Germantown was not part of the City of Philadelphia. The “City of Philadelphia” consisted solely of the area we know today as “Center City”. At the same time, “Philadelphia County” was a much larger area, encompassing areas such as Germantown, several miles from the City of Philadelphia. In 1854, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania decided to formally consolidate the City of Philadelphia, with surrounding Philadelphia County, due to the city’s growth. The borders have not changed at all, since then. Today, the city of Philadelphia and Philadelphia County are identical. Germantown is now just one neighborhood, within it.
