(DOVER, Del.—Feb. 10, 2016)—On Monday, Feb. 22, 2016 at 1p.m., The Old State House, located at 25 The Green in Dover, Del., will present a “George Washington Birthday Celebration” featuring writings by, and about, the first president, read by historical interpreters and distinguished guests, plus a display of Washington books and memorabilia. Admission is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-744-5054.
Selections that will be read during the program are drawn from a wide array of letters and scholarly writings about Washington covering the entirety of his life from his youth when he was raised by a single mother to his final days at Mount Vernon. Participating readers will include Kim Burdick, president of the George Washington Society; Dr. Samuel Hoff, George Washington Distinguished Professor of History and Political Science at Delaware State University; Dr. Stephanie Holyfield, assistant professor of History at Wesley College; Beth Klemstine Jelich, current teacher of “Washington’s Crossing” at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware, Dover; Thomas Summers, outreach coordinator for the Delaware Public Archives; Deborah Wool, professor of Curatorial studies at Wesley College; and historical interpreters from The Old State House.
In addition to the readings, the museum will feature a display of memorabilia about Washington from the personal collection of Dr. Hoff and books from the Wesley College Washington Collection. The display will be presented in the Senate chambers of The Old State House which features an imposing portrait of George Washington by Denis A. Volozan.
Completed in 1791, The Old State House is one of the earliest state-house buildings in the United States, serving as the home of Delaware’s legislature until 1933 when the General Assembly moved to larger quarters in Legislative Hall. The venerable structure now appears as it would have in the late 1700s during the United States’ critical early years as a nation. It features a courtroom, governor’s and county offices and chambers for the state’s Senate and House of Representatives. The building is situated on Dover’s historic Green, a public area designated by William Penn in 1683.
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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