During the month of October 2013, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will be offering 11 special programs at the state of Delaware’s six museums. A full schedule of the programs is listed below. For additional information, call 302-744-5055.
Highlights of the month include “William Penn Day” at the New Castle Court House Museum on Saturday, Oct. 26. The event will feature a full day of activities commemorating Penn’s disembarkment at New Castle, his first landing in the New World. Programs will include a re-enactment of the Livery of Seizen ritual in which Penn received possession of New Castle and a 12-mile circle of land surrounding it at 10 a.m.; “The Trial of William Penn,” a historical play exploring Penn’s trial on religious freedom and the rights of English subjects under the law at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; a performance by De Blokfluiters recorder/flute ensemble at 1 p.m.; and a performance by the University of Delaware Baroque Chamber Ensemble at 6:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Oct. 5, Lewes’ Zwaanendael Museum will present “Shipwrecks, Storms and Science,” a day-long slate of historical games and maritime-history and -archaeology activities, plus a 2 p.m. presentation on the Roosevelt Inlet and DeBraak shipwrecks. The event is held in conjunction with Lewes’ annual Boast the Coast festival.
Finally, on Saturday, Oct. 12, “A Day in the Life of the John Dickinson Plantation” will treat visitors of all ages to a day of food, entertainment and hands-on activities from colonial trades to hearth cooking in the 18th-century setting of the Dover home of the “Penman of the Revolution.”
Special events at the museums of the state of Delaware, October 2013
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013
“The Founding of Victor.” Celebrate the 112th anniversary of the Victor Talking Machine Company. Accompanied by early recordings played on authentic Victor Talking Machines, guided tours will explore the company’s development into an industry leader in talking-machine manufacturing and recorded music. First Saturday in the First State program. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover, Del. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-744-5055.
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013
River Towns Ride and Festival. Festivals in historic New Castle and Delaware City frame a bicycling event between the two cities. Family-oriented festival held from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at the New Castle Court House Museum and The Green in New Castle will feature music, attractions, food and drink, games, tours, vendors and a pumpkin decoration table. Craft-beer festival in DelawareCity from 1–5 p.m. Free admission. 302-655-6483.
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013
“Bayonets of the Revolution: The Delaware Regiment During the War of American Independence.” Chuck Fithian, curator of archaeology for the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, explores the personal circumstances and conditions of soldiers in the Delaware Regiment during the American Revolution. First Saturday in the First State program. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover, Del. Program at 1 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-744-5055.
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013
“Shipwrecks, Storms and Science.” Held in conjunction with Lewes’ annual Boast the Coast festival, the event will feature a day-long slate of historical games and maritime-history and -archaeology activities, plus a 2 p.m. presentation on the Roosevelt Inlet and DeBraak shipwrecks. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission but seating for the slide presentation is limited due to space restrictions. 302-645-1148.
Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013
“History Goes Hollywood.” Screening of the 1942 film “Penn of Pennsylvania” starring Clifford Evans and Deborah Kerr. Story of William Penn, his fight for religious freedom and the founding of Pennsylvania. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle, Del. Program at 2 p.m. Museum open 1:30–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-323-4453.
Mondays, Oct. 7 and 14, 2013
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 curator-led tour of the surviving section of the ship’s hull. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. Programs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Limited seating. Admission $10 in advance by reservation only at http://shop.delaware.gov/. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013
“A Day in the Life of the John Dickinson Plantation.” Visitors of all ages will enjoy a day of food, entertainment and hands-on activities from colonial trades to hearth cooking in the 18th-century setting of the home of the “Penman of the Revolution.” John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, Del. 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013
Colonial Scherenschnitte. Workshop to explore scherenschnitte—the art of papercutting design—with artist Kim Frey of Dagsboro, Del. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. Program at 2 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-645-1148.
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013
William Penn Day. Day-long series of programs commemorating Penn’s disembarkment at New Castle, his first landing in the New World. Reenactment of the Livery of Seizen ritual in which Penn received possession of New Castle and a 12-mile circle of land surrounding it at 10 a.m.; “The Trial of William Penn,” a historical play exploring Penn’s trial on religious freedom and the rights of English subjects under the law at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; a performance by De Blokfluiters recorder/flute ensemble at 1 p.m.; and a performance by the University of Delaware Baroque Chamber Ensemble at 6:30 p.m. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle, Del. Free admission but reservations requested for the 6:30 p.m. concert. 302-323-4453.
Saturday Oct. 26, 2013
“Mysteries of History.” Walking tour explores the unusual tombstones of St. Peter’s cemetery in Lewes. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. Tour leaves from the museum at 2 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-645-1148.
Exhibits at the museums of the state of Delaware, October 2013
In addition to special programming, the museums of the state of Delaware are presenting the following exhibits:
Oct. 16, 2013–Summer 2014
“An Illegal Activity: The Underground Railroad in Delaware.” Exhibit explores the First State’s role in the Underground Railroad by showcasing Thomas Garrett and Samuel D. Burris and the actions they took in following their consciences rather than the law. Presented in partnership with the Underground Railroad Coalition of Delaware. First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries, Delaware Public Archives building, 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dover, Del. Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30-4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-744-5055.
Ongoing
“Archaeology of the New Castle Court House.” The exhibit highlights the many phases of archaeological investigations at the New Castle Court House including artifacts representing over 300 years of continuous use of the building. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle, Del. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-323-4453.
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. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. from April 1–Oct. 31. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. from Nov. 1–March 31. Free admission. 302-645-1148.
Ongoing
“Emeline Hawkins: Her Journey From Slavery to Freedom on the Underground Railroad.”
Exhibit chronicles the compelling story of Emeline Hawkins and her family and their 1845 odyssey on the Underground Railroad from slavery in Maryland, through Delaware to freedom in Pennsylvania. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle, Del. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 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, Del. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. from April 1–Oct. 31. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. from Nov. 1–March 31. Free admission. 302-645-1148.
Ongoing
“Simple Machines.” Exhibit demonstrating the six “simple machines”—incline ramp, screw, wedge, pulley, lever and wheel —that constitute the elementary building blocks of which all complicated machines are composed. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, Del. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.
Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the six museums of the state of Delaware—New Castle Court House Museum, John Dickinson Plantation, First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries, The Old State House, Johnson Victrola Museum and Zwaanendael Museum—tell the story of Delaware’s contributions to the history and culture of the United States. Through displays, exhibits and special programs, the museums explore how the state’s distinctive physical environment, in combination with the people who came to live there, gave Delaware an identity that is different from any other place.
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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
Beginning on Oct. 16, 2013, a new exhibit, entitled “An Illegal Activity: The Underground Railroad in Delaware,” will be on display at the First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries, located in the Delaware Public Archives building at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Dover, Del. Operating hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The exhibit will run through the summer of 2014. Admission is free. For additional information, call 302-744-5055.
