(DOVER, Del.—March 5, 2020)—Between May 28 and Sept. 24, 2020, the Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., will again offer tours that explore the 18th-century history, artifacts and surviving hull section of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak, a British warship that was escorting and protecting a convoy of merchant ships en route to the United States when it was capsized and lost off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798.

Tours will be offered on both Thursday mornings and on selected Saturday evenings during the 2020 season. Thursday tours will take place at 9 a.m. on the following dates: May 28; June 4, 11, 18 and 25; July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; Aug. 6, 13, 20 and 27; and Sept. 3, 10, 17 and 24. Saturday tours will take place at 5 p.m. on June 27, July 25 and Aug. 29.

Tours begin at the Zwaanendael Museum where a lecture on the ship will be presented in conjunction with the exhibit “A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Participants will learn about the history, crew and sinking of the DeBraak through a guided presentation and display of actual artifacts. Attendees will then be transported, via van, to the DeBraak conservation facility for interpretation and viewing of the ship’s surviving hull section. Each tour lasts approximately two hours.

Tickets are available at the Zwaanendael Museum. Admission is $10 per person (cash or check only). For reservations, e-mail hca_zmevents@delaware.gov or call 302-645-1148. Tours are restricted to individuals age 10 and up with space limited to 12 participants per tour. Walk-ups are welcome but space is not guaranteed. Special tours, for groups of 10 to 15, may be arranged in advance by contacting the museum.

Significance of DeBraak …

During the late-18th and early-19th centuries, sloops of war such as DeBraak played an increasingly important role in Royal Navy campaigns. These relatively small vessels combined speed, agility, shallow draft and increased firepower, all of which made them formidable naval vessels. As the only Royal Navy sloop of war from this time period that has been recovered anywhere in the world, DeBraak serves as an invaluable historical resource for a time when Great Britain was the world’s preeminent naval power.

The surviving section of the DeBraak’s hull and its associated artifact collection have been curated by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs since they were acquired by the State of Delaware in 1992. Approximately one-third of the hull survives including the keel, keelson and lower framing elements, including a large section of the starboard (right) side.

About the Zwaanendael Museum …

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.

The Zwaanendael Museum is administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, 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.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-608-5326
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

Millicent Sparks will portray Harriet Tubman at The Old State House on March 10, 2020.

(DOVER, Del.—Feb. 27, 2020)—In celebration of both National Harriet Tubman Day and National Women’s History Month, actress Millicent Sparks will bring to life the noted Underground Railroad conductor who helped dozens of enslaved African Americans escape to freedom prior to the American Civil War.

The program will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at The Old State House, located at 25 The Green in Dover, Del. Admission is free and open to the public but, due to space restrictions, reservations are suggested by calling 302-744-5054. The museum will also be open for visitation and tours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Note: A previous version of this release incorrectly noted that the event would take place on Thursday, March 10, 2020. The correct day is Tuesday, March 10.

“The Harriet Tubman Living History Experience” is organized by the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage at the Delaware Historical Society and is partially funded by a grant from Delaware Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, go to the Delaware Historical Society event calendar.

Harriet Tubman was born in 1822 as a slave in Dorchester County, Md. After escaping her own chains, she returned to the South on 13 missions, helping more than 70 family members, friends and other enslaved people make their way to freedom. During the Civil War, she served as a spy, recruiter and nurse for the Union Army. She was the first woman to lead an armed expedition in U.S. military history when she led the 1863 raid along the Combahee River in South Carolina which freed more than 700 slaves. After service in the conflict, Tubman returned to her home in Auburn, N.Y. In her later years, she fought for women’s rights but did not live to see women attain the right to vote. She died in 1913.

Millicent Sparks is an accomplished actor/writer/producer who has performed on local, regional and international stages and in film and on television. A lifelong history buff, she has researched and produced several living-history performances with special emphasis on the African American experience. As part of her portrayal of Harriet Tubman at The Old State House, Sparks will interact with the audience, responding in character to questions about the abolitionist’s life in slavery, the Underground Railroad and the Civil War.

Completed in 1791, The Old State House is one of the earliest capitol buildings in the nation, 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 an independent country. 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. The Green is a partner site of the First State National Historical Park.

The Old State House is administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, 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.

Designated by joint resolutions of the United States House of Representatives and Senate and proclaimed by the American president, National Women’s History Month is an opportunity to honor and celebrate women’s lives and historic achievements. Each year National Women’s History Month employs a unifying theme and recognizes national honorees whose work and lives testify to that theme. For 2020, the theme is “Valiant Women of the Vote” which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women’s right to vote.

Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs special programs, March 2020

Saturday, March 7, 2020
“The Road to the Vote.” In celebration of Women’s Vote Centennial, guided tours will explore the women’s suffrage movement in Delaware, the 19th Amendment and the discussions held in Delaware’s historic capitol regarding its passage. First Saturday in the First State program. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Saturday, March 7, 2020
“The Women of Victor.” National Women’s History Month guided tours focus on the talented female vocalists of the Victor Talking Machine Company and how they paved the way for the divas of today, accompanied by early recordings of those artists 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. 302-739-3262.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020
“The Harriet Tubman Living History Experience.” In celebration of both National Harriet Tubman Day and National Women’s History Month, actress Millicent Sparks will bring to life the noted Underground Railroad conductor who helped more than 70 enslaved African Americans escape to freedom prior to the American Civil War. Organized by the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage and partially funded by a grant from Delaware Humanities. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. 6–8 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are suggested by calling 302-744-5054.

Friday, March 13, 2020
Concert by Joey Fulkerson. Guitarist presented in partnership with the Delaware Friends of Folk and the First State Heritage Park. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. 7:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Saturday, March 14, 2020
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. 302-739-3277.

Saturday, March 14, 2020
“Country Music: A Woman’s Voice.” National Women’s History Month program highlights the role that female artists played in the evolution of country music. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover. Program at 1 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, March 21, 2020
POSTPONED: “The Kidnapping of Bathsheba Bungy.” Through monologue and song, this theatrical presentation by Valarie Petty Boyer Ph.D. tells the story of the kidnapping of an African American girl from New Castle who was taken to Maryland to be sold into slavery. National Women’s History Month program explores the story of Bungy’s ordeal and escape, and the New Castle Court House trial of the kidnappers. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Performance at 1 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are recommended by calling 302-323-4453. NOTE: Event postponed. Date to be determined.

Saturday, March 28, 2020
POSTPONED: “The First Women of the First State.” National Women’s History Month program by Theo Braunskill, citizen and Elders Council member of the Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware, and Nena Todd, manager of the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ downtown Dover museums, explores Native American women, lifeways, culture, challenges and successes—both past and present. 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. NOTE: Event postponed. Date to be determined.

Exhibits and displays, March 2020

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. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 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.

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.

(DOVER, Del.—Feb. 7, 2020)—In honor of Presidents Day 2020, The Old State House, located at 25 The Green in Dover, Del., will present programs during the month of February that spotlight two of the United States’ greatest chief executives—Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

On Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m., the museum will offer “With Malice Toward None: Abraham Lincoln in Words and Pictures,” a presentation by historian Daniel Pritchett that explores Lincoln’s love of language and his ability to use words to influence and inspire people and to transform the nation.

On Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m., the museum will offer “George Washington’s Unique Skill in Picking Top Talent,” a presentation by Dr. Samuel B. Hoff of Delaware State University and museum historical interpreter Tom Welch on the men that Washington chose to serve in the military, in his spy networks, in his Cabinet and on the Supreme Court.

Both programs are free and open to the public but, due to space restrictions, reservations are suggested by calling 302-744-5054. In addition to special programming, the museum is open for visitation and tours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and on Sundays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Daniel Pritchett taught history in Delaware’s Capital School District for 34 years and subsequently, for five years as an adjunct professor at Delaware State University. He presently teaches at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. He is a member of the Lincoln Forum, one of the foremost national organizations dedicated to the study of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.

Dr. Samuel B. Hoff is George Washington Distinguished Professor for the Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati and professor emeritus of history and political science at Delaware State University. He is a nine-time independent candidate for president of the United States.

Completed in 1791, The Old State House is one of the earliest capitol buildings in the nation, 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 an independent country. 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. The Green is a partner site of the First State National Historical Park.

The Old State House is administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, 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.

Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs special events, February 2020

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