The civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the space program and rock ‘n’ roll will be among the 1960s-era topics
explored during the 2019 Chautauqua tent show that will take place in Lewes from Sept. 19 to 21, 2019.

(DOVER, Del.—Aug. 21, 2019)—During the month of September 2019, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will be sponsoring 14 special programs at sites across the state. A full schedule is included below. Except where noted, all programs are free and open to the public.

Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs special events, September 2019

Monday, Sept. 2, 2019
Labor Day. The following museums of the State of Delaware will be open: The Johnson Victrola Museum and The Old State House, open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; the John Dickinson Plantation and the Zwaanendael Museum, open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The New Castle Court House Museum, closed. 302-744-5054.

Monday, Sept. 2, 2019
Elected Chief Dennis Coker of the Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware. Chief Coker will discuss the tribe’s history and its continuing presence in Delaware. Annual celebration of Native American culture featuring the Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Program at 1 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Monday, Sept. 2, 2019
“The Importance of Regalia in Native American Culture.” Native American flutist Bo Harris returns to the museum to discuss “regalia” or traditional clothing in Native American ceremonies. Annual celebration of Native American culture featuring the Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover. Program at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s 2nd floor gallery (entry via staircase; no elevator). Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3262.

Thursdays, Sept. 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2019
“Lost Off Lewes: The British Warship DeBraak.” Guided tours explore the history, artifacts and surviving hull section of this 18th-century shipwreck. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 9 a.m. Limited seating. Admission $10 (cash or check only). For reservations, e-mail hca_zmevents@state.de.us or call 302-645-1148.

Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019
“Celebrating Native American Music.” The flute is one of the most popular instruments in Native American music. Renowned flute maker Bob Willasch will demonstrate how to make the instruments and visitors will have an opportunity to decorate their own versions. Annual celebration of Native American culture featuring the Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware. First Saturday in the First State program. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover. Programs at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s 2nd floor gallery (entry via staircase; no elevator). Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3262.

Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019
“Today’s Lenapé: An Archaeologist Considers Material Aspects of Contemporary Lenapé Culture.” Delaware State Parks archaeologist John McCarthy will discuss uses of the material world to express identity and values in contemporary Lenapé culture including places that are important to the tribe; the importance of regalia and the pow-wow tradition; and traditions of family, hospitality and more. Annual celebration of Native American culture featuring the Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware. First Saturday in the First State program. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Program at 1 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019
“Celebrating Lenapé Heritage.” Ninth annual event featuring the Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware as they celebrate their culture and long existence in Delaware through art, displays, demonstrations and music. Annual celebration of Native American culture. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Programs 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019
“21st Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: ‘The 1960s in Delaware: A Decade of Turmoil and Transformation.’ ” Full schedule of activities beginning at 11:45 a.m. culminating with performances by the following American Historical Theatre actor/historians: Keith Henley as Martin Luther King, Jr. at 6 p.m. and Bob Gleason as Lyndon B. Johnson at 7:15 p.m. Lewes History Museum, 101 Adams Ave., Lewes. 302-645-1148 or 302-645-7670.

Friday, Sept. 20, 2019
“21st Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: ‘The 1960s in Delaware: A Decade of Turmoil and Transformation.’ ” Full schedule of activities beginning at 1 p.m. culminating with a screening of the documentary “Good Ol’ Freda” about the Beatles secretary at 7:15 p.m. Lewes History Museum, 101 Adams Ave., Lewes. 302-645-1148 or 302-645-7670.

Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019
“21st Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: ‘The 1960s in Delaware: A Decade of Turmoil and Transformation.’ ” Full schedule of activities beginning at 1 p.m. culminating with a dance/concert featuring music by the 60’s Revival Band at 6 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to dress in their best ’60s attire. Lewes History Museum, 101 Adams Ave., Lewes. 302-645-1148 or 302-645-7670.

Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019
“Caesar Rodney in his Own Words.” Historical play about the Delaware patriot by museum historic-site interpreter David Price. The Green adjacent to the New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St. New Castle. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs and bug spray. Play at 2 p.m. Museum open 1:30–4:30 p.m. Free admission but reservations are suggested by calling the museum at 302-323-4453.

Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019
“Creating the Navy on the Delaware.” Presentation by Bill Manthorpe, retired U.S. Navy captain and author. Part one of the four-part lecture series, “Delaware’s Maritime Heritage.” Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. Program at 2 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations for the lecture are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Sept.27, 2019.

Exhibits and displays, September 2019
In addition to special programming, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is sponsoring the following exhibits and displays. Admission is free and open to the public:

Ongoing
“Delaware Railroads: Elegant Travel and Timely Transport.” Exhibit explores the history of rail travel and transport in the First State emphasizing the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad (1832), the Delaware Railroad (1852), the Junction and Breakwater Railroad (1857) and the Queen Anne’s Railroad (1896). Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Ongoing
“Drawing America to Victory: The Persuasive Power of the Arts in World War I.” Online exhibit revolves around 27 World War I posters from the collections of the State of Delaware.

Ongoing
“Five Stories.” Display explores the varied lives of people who lived on the plantation including Dickinson family members, tenant farmers, tradesmen, free Blacks, indentured servants and enslaved individuals. John Dickinson Plantation Welcome Center, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. April 1–Sept. 30: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. Oct. 1–March 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Ongoing
“Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania.” Online exhibit explores the life of Founding Father John Dickinson and the publication of his essays that described Colonial American grievances with the British government.

Ongoing
“New Castle: Three Forts, One Community.” Exhibit examines the 17th-century struggle for control of New Castle by the Dutch, Swedes and English, and the strongholds that they built to maintain their power. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
“The Old State House: A True Restoration 1976-2016.” Display explores preservation work that has been conducted since Delaware’s first permanent capitol building in Dover was restored to its original appearance in 1976. From the collections of the State of Delaware. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Ongoing
“The Path to Freedom: A History of the Underground Railroad in Delaware.” Exhibit explores Delaware’s role in the clandestine network that transported American slaves to freedom including the true journey of the Hawkins family from bondage in Maryland, through Delaware, to freedom in Pennsylvania. Part II of the display explores some of the challenges faced by Black Delawareans after the Civil War, and showcases Delaware trailblazers who helped break racial and gender barriers. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
Sculpture by Charles Parks. Display of works by the noted Wilmington artist featuring historical and political figures including a Minute Man, and presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

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. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Ongoing
“Simple Machines.” Display demonstrating the six “simple machines”—incline ramp, screw, wedge, pulley, lever and wheel—that constitute the elementary building blocks of which many more-complicated machines are composed. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. April 1–Sept. 30: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. Oct. 1–March 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Ongoing
“When Janie Comes Marching Home: Women’s Fight to Serve.” Display explores the participation of women in America’s armed conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the present, and their fight to be allowed to serve their country during wartime. Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Ave., Dover. Limited visitation hours; call 302-739-9194 before planning a visit.

Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the five museums of the State of Delaware—the John Dickinson Plantation, the Johnson Victrola Museum, the New Castle Court House Museum, The Old State House and the Zwaanendael Museum—tell the story of the First State’s contributions to the history and culture of the United States. Through tours, exhibits, school programs and hands-on activities, the museums shine a spotlight on Delaware’s unique history and the diverse people who came to live there. The museums are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The New Castle Court House Museum and the John Dickinson Plantation are partner sites of the First State National Historical Park. The Old State House is located on the Dover Green, another partner site of the park. Go to the following for a comprehensive, long-term calendar of division-sponsored events.

The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is an agency of the State of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history. The division’s diverse array of services includes operation of five museums which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, administration of the State Historic Preservation Office, conservation of the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections, operation of a conference center and management of historic properties across the state. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.

-End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-739-7787
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

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