(DOVER, Del.—May 24, 2016)—During the month of June 2016, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will be offering 24 special programs at sites across the state.
Highlights of the month include “Lost Off Lewes: The British Warship DeBraak”—special tours that explore the history, artifacts and the surviving hull section of this 18th-century shipwreck. Tours, which will take place at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, June 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30, and which will continue through September 2016, begin at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, followed by a trip, via van, to the DeBraak conservation facility to see the remaining section of the ship’s hull. Admission is $10 by reservation only through the Shop Delaware website (go to http://shop.delaware.gov and click the “Tours” link). For additional information, call 302-645-1148.
From June 19 to 23, the Zwaanendael Museum, in partnership with the Lewes Historical Society, will sponsor the 18th Annual Chautauqua—“Making the First State Shine: 50 Years of Historic Preservation in Delaware,” a five-day series of activities celebrating Preservation50, the 50th anniversary of the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Activities focusing on historic preservation include performances by historical re-enactors portraying Teddy Roosevelt, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and Jackie Kennedy Onassis; plus lectures, tours, concerts and many other activities held at sites throughout downtown Lewes. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.
Finally, on Friday, June 17 at 7 p.m., New Castle Court House Museum, located at 211 Delaware St. in New Castle, will host “Currents Reading,” a free evening of readings by Delaware poets and authors published in the new anthology “Currents” which showcases work from the Delaware Division of the Arts’ 2012 Cape Henlopen writers retreat. For additional information, call 302-383-4453.
Following is a complete listing of Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs special programs taking place in June 2016:
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs special programs, June 2016
Friday, June 3, 2016
“Fit Fridays.” Get outside and get fit in a historic setting by playing Colonial games at the home of the “Penman of the Revolution.” John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Program 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Celebration of music and dance. Program will feature music and dance from cultures around the world. First Saturday in the First State program. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-744-5054.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Celebration of music and dance. Program will feature music and dance from cultures around the world, accompanied by 78-rpm recordings played on authentic Victor Talking Machines. First Saturday in the First State program. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3262.
Wednesdays and Thursdays, June 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30, 2016
“Lost Off Lewes: The British Warship DeBraak.” Special tour explores the 18th-century history, artifacts and the surviving hull section of this shipwreck. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 9 a.m. Limited seating. Admission $10 by reservation only through the Shop Delaware website (go to http://shop.delaware.gov and click the “Tours” link). For additional information, call 302-645-1148.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
“1775—Tensions Boil Over.” Lecture by historic-site interpreter Bob Vander Decker. Part six of “The Founding of America in One Year,” a year-long series that examines important local and national events that led to the founding of the United States. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. 7 p.m. Free admission. 302-323-4453.
Friday, June 10, 2016
“Fit Fridays.” Get outside and get fit in a historic setting by playing battledore and shuttlecock, an early game similar to that of modern badminton. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Program 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.
Friday and Saturday, June 10 and 11, 2016
Separation Day. Celebration marking the 239th anniversary of Delaware’s separation from Great Britain and Pennsylvania and the formation of the Delaware State. Programs include activities at the New Castle Court House Museum. Downtown New Castle. Free admission. 302-323-4453 or 302-545-1650.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Demonstrations by the Thistledown Fiber Arts Guild. Program explores spinning, weaving, knitting and other fabric arts. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Program 1–3 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.
Friday, June 17, 2016
“Fit Fridays.” Ready to strengthen your core with 18th-century chores? Join the plantation staff for a day filled with calorie-burning chores. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Program 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.
Friday, June 17, 2016
“Currents Reading.” Literary reading by Delaware poets and authors published in the new anthology “Currents” which showcases work from the Delaware Division of the Arts’ 2012 Cape Henlopen writers retreat. Part of the statewide Delaware Literary Reading Series 2016. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. 7 p.m. Free admission. 302-323-4453.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
18th Annual Chautauqua—“Making the First State Shine: 50 Years of Historic Preservation in Delaware.” Day-long series of activities focusing on historic preservation beginning at Noon and culminating at 7:15 p.m. when Peyton Dixon of the American Historical Theatre portrays president and preservationist Teddy Roosevelt. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. Free admission. 302-645-1148.
Monday, June 20, 2016
18th Annual Chautauqua—“Making the First State Shine: 50 Years of Historic Preservation in Delaware.” Day-long series of activities focusing on historic preservation beginning at Noon and culminating at 7:15 p.m. when Kim Hanley of the American Historical Theatre portrays philanthropist Abby Aldrich Rockefeller who was a leader in the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. Free admission. 302-645-1148.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
18th Annual Chautauqua—“Making the First State Shine: 50 Years of Historic Preservation in Delaware.” Historic-preservation-related activities include a bus trip to historic New Castle, Del. sponsored by the Lewes Historical Society (admission charge, call 302-645-7670 for reservations); a free tour of the Lightship Overfalls, 219 Pilottown Road, Lewes at 2 p.m.; and a free concert by Mike Hines and the Look, Stango Park, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes at 7 p.m. 302-645-1148.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
18th Annual Chautauqua—“Making the First State Shine: 50 Years of Historic Preservation in Delaware.” Historic-preservation-related activities include cemetery tours at 1 and 3 p.m., and historic-house tours at 2 and 4 p.m. sponsored by the Lewes Historical Society (admission charge, call 302-645-7670 for reservations). In addition, the Bethel United Methodist Church, 129 W. 4th St., Lewes, will host free performances by violinist Conor McAvinue at 6 p.m., followed at 7:15 p.m. by Jill Lawrence of the American Historical theatre portraying Jackie Kennedy Onassis. 302-645-7670.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
18th Annual Chautauqua—“Making the First State Shine: 50 Years of Historic Preservation in Delaware.” Historic-preservation-related activities include cemetery tours at 1 and 3 p.m., and historic-house tours at 2 and 4 p.m. sponsored by the Lewes Historical Society (admission charge, call 302-645-7670 for reservations). In addition, St. George’s African Methodist Episcopal Church, 317 Park Ave., Lewes, will host a free Worship Experience by the Singing and Praying Band of Maryland and Delaware at 6 p.m. 302-645-7670.
Friday, June 24, 2016
“Fit Fridays.” Strengthen your constitution at a signer of the Constitution’s home! Join the staff for a hike around the plantation, hit your 10,000 steps and learn about the historic landscapes at the estate of the “Penman of the Revolution.” John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Hikes at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.
Exhibits and displays, June 2016
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:
Thru mid-June 2016
“Called to Service: Women’s Roles During World War II.” Designed by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the display highlights the contributions of women serving in the army nursing corps and as nurse cadets during World War II. Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Ave., Dover. Limited visitation hours; call 302-739-9194 before planning a visit.
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. 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.
Thru mid-April, 2017
“The Old State House: A True Restoration 1976-2016.” Display explores preservation work that has been conducted since Delaware’s first state capitol building 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
“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. 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
“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. 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
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
“Simple Machines.” Exhibit 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.
-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
