-Listing of museum events through September 2015 also included-

(DOVER, Del.—May 13, 2015)—The adventure, romance, excitement and hardships experienced by 18th- and 19th-century seafarers will be brought to life at the fourth annual Zwaanendael Maritime Celebration: “A Sailor’s Life for Me” that will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2015 at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del. The celebration will provide opportunities for adults as well as children to experience the everyday lives of sailors by scrubbing the deck, learning about shipboard food, playing “Crown and Anchor” and other Colonial-period games, exploring a vessel’s cargo and the merchants who shipped it, and serving on a block-and-tackle station where visitors will be drilled by a demanding mariner looking for new crew members.

In addition, the following organizations will be exhibiting at the celebration: Archaeological Society of Delaware; Fort Miles Historical Association; Indian River Life Saving Station; Lewes Education Coalition; Lewes Historical Society; Lightship Overfalls; and the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute (MERR).

The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped facade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters. The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military and social history.

Following is a schedule of Zwaanendael-Museum-sponsored special events through September 2015. Unless otherwise noted, all programs take place at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. Museum hours from April 1 to Oct. 31 are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. From Nov. 1 to March 31, museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. With the exception of DeBraak tours, all programs are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

Zwaanendael Museum special events through September 2015

Saturday, May 23, 2015
Fourth Annual Zwaanendael Maritime Celebration: “A Sailor’s Life for Me.” Maritime-themed activities, games, displays by local organizations and more. 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Mondays, June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29; July 6, 13, 20 and 27; Aug. 3, 10, 17 and 31; and Sept. 14, 21 and 28, 2015
Lecture/tour of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak. Explore the history of the DeBraak which was capsized and lost off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798. Program includes a trip to the hull facility in nearby Cape Henlopen State Park for a tour of the surviving section of the ship’s hull. Programs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Limited seating. Admission $10 in advance by reservation through the Shop Delaware website (go to http://shop.delaware.gov and click the “tours” link). Note: Tours will not be conducted on Sept. 7.

Saturday, June 6, 2015
Free lecture/tour of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak for U.S. military members and their families. Explore the history of the DeBraak which was capsized and lost off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798. Program includes a trip to the hull facility in nearby Cape Henlopen State Park for a tour of the surviving section of the ship’s hull. Programs at 9 a.m. and Noon. Limited seating. Tours for current and former members of the U.S. military and their families only. Admission free in advance only by reservation through the Shop Delaware website (go to http://shop.delaware.gov and click the “tours” link).

Sunday, June 21, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Programs begin at Noon and culminate at 7:15 p.m. when David Scott Taylor of the American Historical Theatre performs “Gideon Olmstead—Adventures of a Sea Captain During the Revolution.”

Monday, June 22, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Programs begin at Noon and culminate at 7:15 p.m. when Daisy Century of the American Historical Theatre performs “Phyllis Phillis Wheatley’s Voyage to Britain” which explores an episode in the life of the first published African-American poet. Note spelling correction.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Concert by the Skinny Leg Pete Band performing soul, funk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Stango Park, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes. 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Programs begin at Noon and culminate at 7:15 p.m. when Christian Johnson of the American Historical Theatre portrays William Augustus Newell founder of U.S. Life-Saving Service. Lewes Historical Society complex, 110 Shipcarpenter St., Lewes. 302-645-7670.

Thursday, June 25, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Programs begin at Noon and culminate at 7:15 p.m. when Kim Hanley of the American Historical Theatre portrays first lady Abigail Adams discussing trade and embargoes during the American Revolution. Lewes Historical Society complex, 110 Shipcarpenter St., Lewes. 302-645-7670.

Zwaanendael Museum exhibits

 Ongoing
“Delaware and the War of 1812.” Exhibit examines the service and sacrifice of Delawareans of 1812 to 1815, and the important role that the state played in a conflict that helped shaped the development of the United States.

Ongoing
“A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Exhibit utilizes artifacts recovered from His Majesty’s Sloop of War DeBraak, a British warship that sank off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798 to tell the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the Atlantic World of the late 18th century.

-End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

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