-Listing of museum activities through December 2016 also included-

(DOVER, Del.—Oct. 13, 2016)—On Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at 5 p.m., the Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., will host “Distilling in Delaware,” a lecture on the history of distilling in the First State by Mike Rasmussen, co-founder of Painted Stave Distilling. Presented in coordination with the museum’s exhibit “Wine and Spirits in Delaware: Producing, Preserving, and Presenting,” the program will include a tasting of some of the company’s products. Note: The program will be held on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Admission is free but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Oct. 21, 2016.

Founded in 2011 by Ron Gomes, Jr. and Mike Rasmussen, Painted Stave Distilling crafts premium spirits in small batches by utilizing ingredients sourced from regional farms and by blending traditions of the past with today’s creativity and state-of-the-art technology. The distillery is housed in a 1940s-era movie theater located at 106 W. Commerce St. in Smyrna, Del.

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 December 2016. All programs take place at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. Museum hours from Nov. 1 to March 31 are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. From April 1 to Oct. 31, museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. All programs listed are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

Zwaanendael Museum special events through December 2016

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016
“Distilling in Delaware.” Lecture on the history of distilling in the First State by Mike Rasmussen, co-founder of Painted Stave Distilling in Smyrna, Del., plus a tasting of some of the company’s products. Presented in coordination with the museum’s exhibit “Wine and Spirits in Delaware: Producing, Preserving, and Presenting.” Program at 5 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Oct. 21, 2016.

Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016
“Mysteries of History.” Walking tour explores the unusual tombstones of St. Peter’s cemetery in Lewes. Tour leaves from the museum at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016
“Preservation50—‘Preserving Large Metal Artifacts Outdoors.’ ” Lecture by Michael D. Leister, former director of the Air Mobility Command Museum. Presented in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Program at 2 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Nov. 4, 2016.

Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016
Return Day. Museum open 10 a.m.–Noon only due to this Sussex County holiday.

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016
Dutch-American Heritage Day. Celebrate the anniversary of Nov. 16, 1776 when an American warship sailed into the harbor of the Dutch island of St. Eustatius in the West Indies and was greeted by a friendly salute, the first ever given by a foreign power to the flag of the newly-independent United States. Activities from 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. will include Dutch crafts, historical information and, at 2 p.m., “How Did a Rocky Dutch Island Seven Square Miles in Area Become the Catalyst for American Revolution?,” a lecture by Stuart Forman. Lecture held on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator).

Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016
“A Revolutionary Game of Cat and Mouse: Henry Fisher, HMS Roebuck and the Delaware Bay.” Lecture by historic-site interpreter Andrew Lyter. Part one of “Ship to Shore Saturdays,” a four-part series that chronicles local Lewes history. Program at 2 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Nov. 18, 2016.

Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
Thanksgiving Day. Museum closed.

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016
“Hospitality Night: ‘The Holiday Pickle.’ ” Learn how to make pickles and explore the history of the pickle and its significance to season; and enjoy the museum trimmed for the holidays by the Sussex Gardeners. Presented in partnership with the Lewes Chamber of Commerce. 5–8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016
“Tour Zwaanendael Museum.” Enjoy the museum’s festive holiday-décor. Event held in conjunction with the Lewes Historical Society’s Christmas Tour of Lewes.

Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016
“Ship to Shore Saturday.” Lecture by historic-site interpreter Kaitlyn Dykes. Part two of a four-part series that chronicles local Lewes history. Program at 2 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Dec. 9, 2016.

Zwaanendael Museum exhibits and displays

Thru Dec. 31, 2016
“Wine and Spirits in Delaware: Producing, Preserving, and Presenting.” Exhibit features objects and graphics from the 18th to the 21st centuries that illustrate Delaware’s wine and spirits trade.

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.

Ongoing
“Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Display explores the DeBraak, a shipwrecked 18th-century British warship including a photo of the hull recovery, reproductions of items aboard ship, and a model of the vessel.

-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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